


Crimson chains and bloody freedom

by WhiteBeakedRaven



Series: of freedom and chains [9]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abuse, Administrator Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Angst, Blood and Injury, Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Creepy, Egg is really bad, Eggpire on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Invasion, Long-Haired Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Mind Control, Non-Consensual Touching, Partial Mind Control, Possession, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Suicide, Temporary Character Death, Torture, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-24 20:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30077646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteBeakedRaven/pseuds/WhiteBeakedRaven
Summary: The Eggpire is on the move and it will stop at nothing but full control.Something that Dream and his friends just can't allow. They try to intervene, putting themselves at risks in hostile lands.Things get much worse before they ever have a chance to get better.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & DreamXD (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF) & Everyone, Noah Brown & Clay | Dream, Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Series: of freedom and chains [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171616
Comments: 369
Kudos: 473





	1. The End?

**Author's Note:**

> Part nine!!! Woohoo! Big Finale!  
> Guess who was an idiot and wrote about 50 pages in the span of four days. This gal here!  
> You guys are just too great at hyping me up.
> 
> So thanks for all the support and all the comments I have received until now, I never expected this to happen when I uploaded my first drabble.  
> Also a big thank you at izzine on ao3/ @isaamsmrts on Tumblr for helping me shape this story and ANewDawn(ShyLittleRose) for being such an integral part of my writing process. Really, thanks...  
> (Also much love to all the members on the Dreamers Zone Discord server for inspiring me and indulging my constant spamming. You are all great!)
> 
> Welp, with that out of the way...  
> Enjoy!

XD hadn’t existed for long. Well, in a sense.

He had been just himself ever since Dream had split him off. Which was only many months ago. That means he was probably the youngest in the world and still he had all the power that one could want. Normally not such a good combination.

It probably helped that with the overwhelming reservoir of energy, Dream had been so kind as to give him constant access to his originator.

Meaning he could recall all Dream could recall, could feel all Dream could feel and see all that Dream could see. It used to be just a system to make XD not a body with unimaginable power and no real developed mind to speak off. Recently it has become a way to keep taps on his creator.

And oh boy, did he have to keep an eye on him.

He may be even less than a ghost in the Overworld, thanks to the restrictions Dream had placed, but even those flimsy chains keeping him bound to the End would have been easy to break with all XD could do. Had he needed to.

He had wanted to.

He had wanted to so many times.

But a promise of duty and secrecy kept XD back. Watching with hollow worry, as thing after thing had happened on the SMP. As crack after crack appeared in the building foundations of his originator's mind. As push after push Dream was nudged to the edge of a crevice.

A crevice he wouldn’t have been able to come back from. At least never in the way he had once been.

However, luckily XD knew Dream wasn’t one to let everything happen to him. Wasn’t someone to just dumbly take what the world threw at him. At least some of his intelligence had to have come from his originator.

And he stood to be corrected still.

One single spark was all it took to reignite the dwindling flames of Dreams will. One little idea was what was needed to send his body into action. One little sentence all that was uttered to make him do the smartest he could have done.

Break out, escape and disappear.

XD had been flying loops of joy around the Ender dragon, annoying the lady of the End with his antics, when he had witnessed Dream's successfully retreat back into the wild.

He had been ecstatic, partially mirroring the feelings of his main.

Only to grow sullen and quiet again as he witnessed what had been taken as baggage from Pandora’s Vault. A black scaled snout had brought him from his horrified watching of the event unfold, the queen of the End sniffing at him in slight concern.

All XD could do was hug the scaled beast for comfort, as he had kept watching, Dreams panic and fear spilling over and making him shake slightly. Safe to say the young godling hadn’t had the best of nights along with his originator.

The following day hadn’t been much better. The Nether making its name as literal hell true.

And the following. Mining, just simply mining, mask on and so much fear with every inhale, painful limp with every step.

And the following few. Much of the same.

The meeting had been a stroke of luck. XD had felt his creator's magic close to one of his strongholds, tuning back into the connection at the right moment to find out that Dream was literally on his doorstep. The teleport had been more instinct than real thought, the need to get closer to his main and checking up on him burning inside.

The discussion had been long overdue.

It had finally set the stones rolling that XD had been aware of for way too long. They had lain still in Dreams' mind, mostly ignored or shoved into the back. XDs little push was however all that was needed to get them rolling.

It had been dearly overdue.

The following days XD had kept sporadically checking in, mostly to just wince in pure pain and anguish, the burning need to reprimand and help his main running through him. His main getting himself only in more and more trouble, getting injured and almost collapsing so often in his shenanigans.

Although the scratches as a cat had been nice. The feeling of being high was something the godling still wasn’t certain about.

Anyway, time flew by and so did XD. Exploring the End, sometimes alone, sometimes with his big scaly friend.

It was nice.

Dream never had spent much time in the End dimension itself. Always jumping, fighting and surviving in either the Overworld or the Nether, never lingering long enough in the End. Which made every discovery a novelty.

It was also the reason XD was far from the main floating island when he felt someone new enter one of his strongholds. It had happened before, always as a lucky find, so XD hadn’t been worried when he spread his senses to the new intruder.

He had seen a very determined BadBoyHalo sprint directly to the portal frame. Slaying any mobs in his way without a problem, destroying the spawner and pulling out eyes of ender.

Then XD had started to get worried. Taking a hold of Bad's essence, he tried to immediately teleport to him.

Only to encounter an obstacle.

A presence, familiar and still so strange, wrapped around the black demons figure, blocking XDs power from using him as an anchorpoint. It had disturbed the godling.

Just as he had been about to teleport to the chunk itself, another tug went through XDs connections, a different stronghold being entered.

By not one, but two.

A slight panic had started to spread through him. If from himself or his originator he didn’t know.

The feeling grew even stronger when another tug, another stronghold, another two people. Three different strongholds at once. This was too many.

Desperately XD tried to reach one of them. One of the intruders. Finding no hold, scrabbling against a smooth cloak of bad and wrong. The blanking presence of the Egg denying him an anchor. With every single one.

Except…

Purpled.

As soon as XD noticed the possible connection he tried to latch on to it, reaching with his magic, eyes flaring purple, body tense for the disorienting feeling of a teleport between dimensions.

That’s when the sound of a coming storm echoed through the world like a gong, together with the familiar roar of XDs friend.

It was too late.

He had to focus on the defensive here, jumping into the Overworld now would only allow Bad, Ant and Punz free access. The stand had to be made here. They wouldn’t get any further than the central floating island.

XD would make sure of it.

With a changed will he redirected the already collected energy to not take him to the Overworld, but straight to the first island of the End.

Two more gongs halled through the air, as familiar energy enveloped the godling, making him disappear from his former location without a sound. Materializing him in the middle of the obsidian pillars that were so familiar to him and Dream, on top of the construct of bedrock that would house the portal to escape.

Loud wing flaps and the gurgles of tens of endermen reached his ears, as he oriented himself. The growl of the queen of the End greeted him, and he returned the sound with a warning hiss added. A pleading gurgle came after from his throat, akin to the tall black teleporting beings surrounding the godling.

She understood without a problem. For a moment the large body of the Ender Dragon floated in the air, camouflaged by the darkness of the End, intelligent purple eyes staring at the godling with hesitation and a burning rage at the intruders.

The lady however complied with XDs wishes, turning and disappearing from sight. He let out a small sigh of relief, having bought a few minutes. At least a few moments. The intense stare hidden by the End itself, sent small shivers down DreamXDs spine.

She would definitely keep a close eye on things. If even the slightest hint of something going wrong appeared, she wouldn’t hesitate to attack.

He had to play this well, to avoid any confrontation. Looking towards where the obsidian platform floated, he waited for the unwelcome guests to arrive.

He didn’t have to wait long.

A few pearls and the five figures clad in purple glowing netherite armor appeared, heading straight for XD. Only throwing a few careful glances around for the queen, mindful of the eyes of the endermen.

XD watched them with a single visible blazing purple eye, the essence of the End steeping his surroundings with his anger. Laying heavy on the scene and making any endermen close by make a wide berth around him.

Still, he tried to seem calm.

“You know what you have done, don’t you?”, he asked, voice echoing through the void.

The group of intruders came to a halt before the bedrock construct and the pillar in the middle, on which the godling stood.

A demon, clad in black and grey, stepped forward. “We know”, Bad spoke, voice absent of its normal cheer.

“I will give you one last chance. The Ender dragon isn’t here”, careful flickers of different pairs of eyes around, confirming what XD had just said, “so your target isn’t in reach.”

XD stepped off the pillar and floated gently down, straight into the group's front. White mask and swirling purple eye only centimetres away from Beds face. He stared into the glowing grey-white of the group's leaders' eyes.

“I am nothing if not forgiving.” He shared that trait certainly with his originator. “Leave now and I won’t kill you all on the spot!”, he threatened, the power of the distant stars colouring his cold sharp voice.

The intruders became stock still. XD kept staring, not moving a muscle. Trying to seem imposing despite his short stature.

A sigh came from Bad, the group looking to their head. Purpled shifted seemingly uncomfortable in the back, a slight uneasiness on his otherwise young neutral face. XD knew he wasn’t under the effect of the Egg, which is why he didn’t seem to have the same artificial calm as the rest.

“We understand, this was foolish anyways. But we can’t go back. We need to kill the dragon to get out of here”, Bad pointed to the unlit bedrock portal with a throwing gesture. “So we’re kinda stuck then.”

XD tilted his head in thought, staring intently at his opposite. Then he leaned back and floated slightly to the side, opening the way for the group to the portal.

“I can open it for you, but you have to leave then”, the little godling spoke, voice light and passive again.

Bad nodded. The rest followed his lead and nodded as well, Purpled especially enthusiastic. The demon spoke: “We will. I promise.”

“Good.” With those words XD reached for the almost indestructible portal before him, his essence following his will.

Normally, a lot of power was needed to activate the portal. Normally, the essence of the queen of the End was taken. Normally, the soul of the slain beast would power the portal almost indefinitely, the energy of the End being fed to the remnants of its protector. Even if all the crystals have been destroyed.

This time however, XD took the burden upon himself.

The power of the End answered his call, flowing through him and dripping down from his fingers into the basin of grey stone. Black void filled with stars slowly blanketed the bottom of the fountain like structure, creating the sight one would normally see after defeating the lady.

XD let his outreached arm fall down, the taste of power ebbing from his body. He felt slightly weaker than before. Even his, or better said Dreams reserves had an end. But he could go on without a problem.

“There. Now go”, he said, turning back to the intruders.

Bad smiled brightly, sharp fangs showing. “We will, but not alone”, he replied, arm inching behind his back. XD tensed slightly, eyes narrowing. Something wasn’t right.

With a sudden movement, a small red object was thrown at the godling, hitting his floating body and exploding on impact into a cloud of thick smoke.

The hit was nothing.

A few others of the same followed, creating more red smoke around XD, who stayed still, rolling his eyes at the seemingly pointless attack. Whatever these things were, they just harmlessly puffed smoke into the air with every hit on his floating blue mantle.

The godling was confident that it was just a misguided dumb prank.

He inhaled, intent on telling the group to stop and just go, patience slowly running out, when he suddenly choked on the air. He reached for his throat, the burning feeling of something bad and foreign trickling down his airways. Spreading from his lungs.

The godling coughed hard, intent on using his magic to clear the air and just smite the idiots before him, when he met a hindrance. The End didn’t answer his call. It didn’t even react the slightest.

Another eye watering cough escaped him, as he almost desperately reached out again, being met with a barrier. A familiar one.

Crimson and alien. Wrong and bad.

But instead of enveloping its followers, this time it enveloped him. Cutting him off from his main source of power. Stopping him from easily deploying his abilities.

Not stopping them completely. His original source was still there. Himself.

Instead of silently calling for something that couldn’t hear him, XD reached into himself, intent on burning the intruding spores away. The pain of wrongness had spread almost through his entire body, small red veins popping up where skin was visible.

It had also reached his mind.

Even though XD was literally the core of Dreams power given form, he didn’t enjoy all of his benefits. One of those was the strong natural shields of an Admin. Shields, that would have kept those reaching vines from corrupting his mind, trying to take control. Would have stopped the alien presence from blanketing his will, intent on keeping it down. Would have hindered the Egg from surpassing his attempt to reach for his inherent magic, taking the power literally from his reach.

But XD wasn’t Dreams split part without inheriting his stubbornness.

It may infect his body and mind, but it could never fully take his will away. Sharpening his thoughts to a weapon, he impaled the intruder, stabbing intently at any part that wanted to catch him. Keep him down. Control him.

Intent on fighting the bloody parasite for control over his body the old-fashioned way.

The presence reacted.

It might never be able to take full control, but it had enough control over his painfully convulsing body and blistering mind to do something small. Something tiny. Something, like sending him into oblivion.

A silent scream of outrage and desperation escaped XD, as he was met with the darkness of unconsciousness that his main so desperately still seeked. Being sent into the recessesses of sleep through the humming alien wrongness of the crimson.

Only with his last scraps of awareness did the little godling catch a delighted voice say something before he was out like a light.

“The dragon was never the target!” His slack body fell into the black arms of the demonic giggling speaker.

The roar of an infuriated beast echoing through the End.

\-----

_Dream has made the advancement [The End?]_

The Admin let out a deep sigh, the energy of the Overworld fading away. Instead, the familiar feeling of the End enveloped him. He hadn’t felt it like this ever since he had come to this world.

Still, deep in his gut a fire raged, anger and a slight fear making the power around him lash around wildly. Unseen to the eyes of the blind. Unnoticed to those who couldn’t feel. Unknown to those in the dark.

With purple blazing eyes did he fight back the influence of whatever was trying to invade through his bond from his split part. From his corrupted mirror.

Magic numbing the pain and nausea it caused. Making him able to keep going. To keep moving.

To do what he needed to do.

A sudden tugging let him look up. Dream ignored the constant buzzing of his communicator as he felt his friends materialize next to him, thrown through dimensions after him. A weird sense of relief flowing through him at having them by his side again.

The floating main island, crowned with obsidian pillars, greeted them.

“Haven’t been here in a looooong time”, Sapnap spoke, orange and black sectoral eyes searching the void for something.

George did the same, goggles down and bow out. “Do you see her?” His head swivelled to the island. “Or any of the others?”

Sapnap shook his head, taking out an ender pearl and pushing another one into Dreams hand. He took it slightly surprised.

The arsonist went on: “But we’ll probably see them soon enough.” With those words he went to pitch his arm back, intent on throwing the dark turquoise glimmering sphere.

Dream caught his wrist and stopped him.

He quickly looked at both of them, seeing George also prepared to teleport but stilling like Sapnap at the action.

“Give me a moment…” the Admin asked.

The other members of the Dream Team relieved some of their tension and nodded. Dream let go of Sapnap wrist, closing his eyes and throwing his senses out of his body. Seeing, hearing and feeling what was going on in his world. Observing what was close by.

He frowned under his mask, the threads of XD burning in his core. Burning not hard enough. Still seeming to be so far away. As if he was even now in a different dimension.

The Admin spotted the bedrock portal, seeing stars flowing in its frame.

“Fuck!”  
He brought his mind back into his body with a snap, flinging open his eyes. Without further ado he pitched back his arm, cold orb in his sweaty palm. “We have to move!”, he shouted, letting his pearl sail through the air and transporting him in a dead sprint onto the main island.

Two other sounds of breaking behind him signalled the others following.

They ran for the middle with pounding steps that resounded over the yellow end stone. A gasp was heard from Sapnap, as their normal sight was able to reach the glowing portal.

“How?! They didn’t get the achievement!”

George questioned next: “Did they even kill the dragon?”

A loud roar answered him, as a black figure suddenly detached itself from the dark sky, swooping down with extended claws and burning purple eyes. The darkened scales shimmered in the unnatural light of the End, crowning the one that is its queen.

“What the fuu…!”, “Shit!”, “Duck down!”

A beat of wings let the air storm around the three, as the Ender Dragon swooped over their heads, missing all of them with her sharp claws. For a moment the Dream Team remained flat on the ground, where they had thrown themselves in the heat of the moment.

Dream looked at his companions for a second, making sure they were alright, before standing up with a quick motion.

He didn’t have time for this!

Thinking fast, hassled by all that had gone wrong so far, Dream remembered the conversation he had had with XD not even that long ago. An idea sparked.

It was worth a try.

Lifting his head up to the lady of the End, he took a deep breath. He opened his mouth into a roar, bellowing and deep, distorted with the power of this dimension. It echoed around the pillars, making George and Sapnap freeze in their motions.

The beating of wings stopped in place, a big lizard head turning and staring down. A questioning rumble went through the air.

Dream understood. He lifted his mask without a second thought, purple blazing eyes open for the world to see. Revealing his face towards the queen. A face he shared with his smaller counterpart.

As soon as she saw his features, did the beast drop down, stamping on the ground towards the trio. Nails scraping over hard end stone.

The Admin heard his friends take their weapons in hand, but with a gesture to stand down, he signaled them to stop.

He didn’t see if they followed.

A large scaled snout abruptly shoved itself close to Dreams face, blowing hot air into it and letting loose strands of hair fly. A lashing tail behind the big lithe body of the queen, whipping around in something akin to relief and happiness.

With a quiet growl from Dream did the tail still, drooping down in disappointment. The Admin placed his hand on the scales in front of him, bowing his head in something like respect and understanding.

The black reptile like skin was warm under his hand. Not at all feeling like he had expected it too, a surprising softness to snout before him.

The contact between the two, between the owner and the queen, was broken, as the latter lifted her head and looked down with intelligent eyes. Dream kept his eyes respectfully to the ground, following a social rule he had learned often enough from the endermen.

“I’ll get him back, I promise…”, Dream spoke.

A huff of hot air let his locks fly again.

“Or I’ll die trying.” He looked back up as he said that, still trying to not directly meet the eyes. Some of the pain of his taken and corrupted core showing on his features.

The Ender Dragon seemed to understand. She lifted one of her clawed feet, lightly pushing with her big scaled fingers against Dreams chest. Softly but insistently.

Telling him to go.

He understood, turning his back to the supposed dangerous beast and being faced with the surprised pale faces of his friends. The lit portal behind them.

“Come on, we’re running out of time.”

George was the first who caught himself. “We have got to have a long talk about what the fuck you all can do.” He shook his head while saying so, also turning for the portal.

“Yeah dude, so that next time we won’t get a heart attack when a giant-sized lizard charges at us. And you just stand there…”, Sapnap added, putting with a faint trembling hand his sword away.

“Yeah, Yeah, will do”, Dream threw over his shoulder, walking fast towards the night sky surface of the portal.

He stopped at the edge of it.

Just one step, one small step and he would be back in the mainland. One step. That’s all it took.

Back to where he had run wild, where he had been pushed down, where he had been tortured and hurt. Where he had hurt others as well.

This time he didn’t have the protection of anonymity. This time he wasn’t some feline everyone wanted to give pets. He would be out in the open. No other protection for him.

Nervously he adjusted his white smiley mask, fingers trembling slightly.

“Hey, it’s okay Dream…” He snapped his head to the speaker, looking at Sapnap who stood next to him on the edge. “We’re with you.”

“Yeah, what the idiot said. We won’t leave your side”, George added on the other side.

Dream looked between the two a few times, something light entering his stomach. Something akin to relief. He wasn’t alone this time. He wasn’t.

The hollow pit in his stomach sent another pulse of stabbing pain. Another wave of magic was used to suppress it, stopping the creeping advance of red to his core. He didn’t have much time.

He couldn’t keep this up forever.

A deep sigh escaped him, the fire of anger still burning in him. Making his fingers warm and his weapons sing for blood. Giving him the familiar urge to fight, to win.

But he had to do this carefully. He couldn’t let emotions get the best of him. He wasn’t allowed to make any mistakes. Or it could mean the end.

An idea entered his whirling mind.

He reached for his communicator, quickly typing something in. With only a second of hesitation did he press send. This was for the best. Hopefully they would listen.

The two communicators of his friends buzzed, as they had all been doing ever since they had entered the stronghold and Dream had blown any chances of staying supposedly dead.

He still didn’t care.

“Let’s go”, Dream said, stepping forward and falling into a night sky. Followed closely by two other figures.

Purple eyes watching carefully from behind, something small like concern shining in them.

_< Dream> everyone stop the crimson before it is too late!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuuuh boy, hope you enjoyed. Things are slowly heating up.
> 
> Now we finally know what happened with XD. Gods can bleed, gods can die, gods can sleep ;)
> 
> If you wanna be so nice and brighten my day with your thoughts, reactions, theories, I'm always happy to talk in the comments down below. Constructive criticism is also always welcome.  
> Thanks again a bunch for all the support, ya'll are amazing!
> 
> Next chapter tomorrow! Till then, have a great day/night!  
> Stay safe!


	2. The more the merrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mainland. A place of almost constant conflict.  
> It held true to its title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small tw for vomiting, only happens at the end though. For the rest, please heed the tags.
> 
> Enjoy anyways!

For one moment Dream was at peace.

Floating in the vastness of everything and nothing. Feeling and seeing as one of the world. His world. It was his. And it always would be. Until his end.

It was nice. It reminded him of before, back when he had still been whole.

But then the issues appeared. The numbness of certain parts of his land, creeped over with crimson vines. The craters, forcefully blown down to bedrock, one from him, one from a weapon that shouldn’t exist. The blood that had been absorbed in so many places, spilled in rage and petty fights that had become larger than they should have ever been.

That he had tried to stop.

Only to be demonized, belittled and piece by piece broken down. Until his shattered parts fit the role they had crafted for him. Until he was what they expected of him. A villain. A bad guy. A monster.

Ignoring all that made him so glaringly human.

Not anymore.

He might still be nothing more than a shattered mirror, but every shard of him is still able to shine, to reflect. To show what it is supposed to show. To represent the picture he once was and is now. To cut others if need be. Glimmering shards dangerous in their sharpened edges. He was never one to let a weakness keep him helpless.

Even if the stabbing pain in his core tried to tell him otherwise.

Grabbing that what was his, here, in the everything of his world, was easy as breathing. Taking the power of all three dimensions, using them to transport him and his friends to where they needed to be, took nothing more than a thought. Familiar energy at his fingertips obeying his command, bringing them where he wanted to go. Where he needed to be.

To the mainland.

Mind finding the glowing anchorpoint of spawn, focusing in on it and pulling himself and his friends along.

When he opened his eyes again he was met with the setting sun of the spawn chunk, standing on one of the walls surrounding it. Birds singing their evening songs, a fresh wind blowing through the leaves, unable to reach his face thanks to the mask.

Crazy to think that it had been not even three weeks ago, that he had stood here desperate and weak, trying to get away.

He was still weak but no longer escaping. No longer trying to flee. He was going to stop those that thought they could steal what was his. That thought they could control even one part of him.

Even if he had to run straight into danger.

He breathed in once, smelling the wild and the trees. The exhale was akin to a sigh.

Then he turned around and met the sight of his friends, waiting at the bottom of the wall. He jumped down with practised grace, catching himself easily despite the constant pain and swirling emotions.

One nod and they began their trek, following his lead, feet pounding over his land. Following the constant painful tugging of corrupted strings.

They were much closer now.

Dreams gamble had paid off. Normally the portal would send one back to the Overworld, akin to a respawn. Back to the last bed or back to the spawn point. But there was no way the others hadn’t known that. There was no way the Egg hadn’t known that.

It probably did the same as Dream, just the other way around.

Instead of reaching for an anchor from the void, it had been the anchor for its followers. Tugging them back to its sphere of influence. Back to the mainland. Not directly to it, but close. Way too close.

And if Dream was right, he knew where they were headed with XD. To the Egg itself. To the centre of the corruption taking his world. Trying to corrupt the centre of the Admin controlling these lands.

He couldn’t allow that.

Already, the burning revulsion and disgust attempting to get into Dreams core were only held back thanks to his magic and that of his world. Getting around his natural barriers, because of the direct connection he had with XD. A connection that he would never be able to cut, to deny entrance through this backdoor.

One he couldn’t cut if he wanted to stay functioning.

There was no telling what would happen when his split off piece was completely taken in. Was completely taken by red and wrong. Was completely corrupted. What would happen to him. To them. To his world.

So, he couldn’t allow that.

They headed to where he knew they had to go. Sprinting steps and panting breaths. Familiar. Especially with these two by his side.

Their destination was clear. The centre of all the numbness and bad filling his land. A cavern he had only seen once, long before it had turned into this. Following the strings that were steadily tugging at him, calling him in quiet desperation. If from XD or the Egg, Dream couldn’t tell.

Stretching out his senses, reaching to what was his and what he was steadily taking power from, he searched. Snippets and scenes flashed by while he kept up his running steps. Following the threads that bound them he found them easily, despite the many unresponsive parts of his land.

There they were.

A group of warriors clad in armor, moving steadily towards the entrance of the spider spawners which had already existed for so long. Almost since the beginning.

Purpled hung slightly back, his movements fluid with practise. And still they seemed slightly unsure. Purple gaze flickering to the figures in front, a frown decorating his face. His sights were especially set on the small limp body, wearing a blue coat, carried in the strong hold of Punz.

XD.

Small red vines seemed to crawl under his skin, the signature mask tilted slightly. The normally visible purple eye closed with long eyelashes, flickering slightly every now and then. A convulsion ran through the godling's body, as Dream caught sight of him. The bond between them glowing bright for a moment before ebbing back into crimson pain.

He was stuck in his unconsciousness.

Bad, Ant and Ponk were spread out around their precious cargo. Glowing grey eyes scouring the scenery, pointed cat ears flickering about and a familiar red mask moving with the searching gaze of its wearer.

They were too close to the spider spawner.

The Dream Team was hot on their tail, the Admins senses spread.

Which is why he immediately noticed when Ant and Bad seemed to turn around, looking in their direction.

Which is why he immediately noticed the arrow heading straight for him, enchantments humming in its tip.

In split-seconds Dream pulled his perception back, rolled into a dodge to escape the projectile and came back up on his haunches. The arrow flew through where his body had been just a split second ago.

Frowning green blue glowing eyes searched for what had attacked him. Who had attacked him.

Sapnap and George also stopped their sprint as they noticed the sudden action. Understanding in their features when they saw the trembling arrow shaft not even two blocks away from their crouching friend.

“Who shot that?!”, shouted the arsonist, heat in his voice at the sudden attack. At the attack on his friend.

Dream spotted them shortly before they revealed themselves.

“I did!”, shouted a young voice back.

A golden mop of hair and the signature white and red shirt under his armor making him immediately recognizable. The scars on Dreams neck and gut twinged in memory, as guilt and anger continued to course through him.

Tommy crested the hill he had been hiding behind. The hilly and stony part of this biome not giving him many other options for cover.

He wasn’t alone.

Another young face, brown hair and green untucked shirt glancing out underneath purple netherite, marked the entrance of Tubbo. The familiar enchantments on his armor humming teasingly in Dreams perception. Those were his. That was Nightmare.

And behind them, unnoticed by probably all the others, he could feel a set of mismatched eyes stare into his back with frightening intensity. The split enderman-hybrid keeping a distrustful eye on the going ons. Not being Dreams friend at the moment.

“What the fuck Tommy! Don’t just shoot at people!”  
Dream concentrated back on the current happenings at his fiery brother’s shout. The tugging and creeping in his core still going on.

He didn’t have time for this.

“I wasn’t shooting at people!” Tommy stalked closer, weapons out. “I was shooting at the green bastard that’s supposed to be dead!” He pointed with his blade towards Dream. “And I’m gonna make sure he is this time!”

“Tommy stop, we don’t have time for your shenanigans!”, George spoke, stepping forward with his sword drawn as well. “We’re kinda in the middle of a crisis here!”

“Oh shut up Gogy. I only have beef with your boyfriend, not with you. Stay out of this and I won’t kill you as well!”

A hesitant voice cut through. “Tommy… maybe killing him isn’t the answer.”

The mentioned teenager immediately stared at his long-time friend. “Why not?!”, he shouted at Tubbo, aggravation clear as day.

The other teen in turn was staring at Dream intently. Intelligent eyes raking over his form. “He’ll maybe just get away again. We have to catch him and put him back in the prison to make it stick”, he answered, bow hanging from his arms with a prepared arrow.

At the mention of the prison Dreams already racing heart spiked again. He finally got up from his haunches, taking in a better defensive position and saying, voice cold and hard: “I won’t be going back.”

The attention immediately snapped to him. He didn’t like it as always, more comfortable being in the shadows. Being hidden.

He kept going anyway, familiar discomfort ignored. “Whatever you wanna do, we’ll be continuing.” Dream took out his new still unused netherite axe.  
He took another breath. “And I won’t be going back! No matter what you do, Tommy. I won’t! So just let us pass and stop the Egg before it’s too late and this entire world is taken over by it”, he tried to explain to the teenagers, trying to make them see reason.

Tommy only scoffed. “The Egg is fucking stupid. It won’t be able to do a single thing with how stupid it is. So don’t try to weasel your way out of this one Dream!”

“Just let us pass dude, we’ve got bigger fish to fry!”, Sapnap tried.

The teens head snapped towards him, heated words continuing to pour out. “Shut it Sapnap! Just kill the bastard again and then we can be on our way!”

George attempted to step in, arms lifted in a calming gesture. “Guys…”

He was promptly ignored as Tubbo threw in: “Tommy, no killing, we need to capture him. Maybe even study him! He survived more than three canon lives!” A gleam of excitement entered the youngster’s eyes.

The sight let a shiver go down Dreams back.

He shook his head. “I’m not going back to the prison so just leave us…”

“You are”, interrupted him a voice suddenly.

Dream immediately stilled at the tone, mouth closing with a snap. A cold feeling of fear spreading in his limbs.

_Nonononononononono… Not now!_

He whirled around towards the speaker, being met with familiar green patchy skin and creeper-like gas mask. The familiar netherite uniform of the Warden greeting him, enveloping Sam’s form. A way too familiar pickaxe strapped to his back.

Old memories with the taste of smoke, the pointed glowing end of a mining tool hammering into his frail flesh again and again.

Tipped boots ramming into his frail ribs over and over, breaking them. Puncturing his lungs and making him drown in his own blood.

Body held down into the water pit, a relentless hand in his hair. Keeping him submerged until water flooded where it should not go. Until his desperate convulsing body stilled.

Shoves into burning lava, limbs held into the glowing curtain, flesh taking fire and melting in excruciating pain.

Beating him. Burning him. Choking him. Hurting him. Killing him. Torturing him. 

Always accompanied by words, so many words. Monster, vermin, dirt, villain, useless, dangerous, deranged, crazy, bad, bad, bad…

Dream inhaled deeply, his core sending another pulse of sharp pain through his body.

Trying to push the memories away. Trying to suppress the rising fear and panic. Trying to keep the flames of anger and rage going.

They however flickered unsteadily, memories threatening to choke them with all their terrible terror.

He exhaled.

“I’m not”, Dream spoke, determined in his words despite his turbulent mind.

“Yeah, he isn’t.” Sapnap stood strong to the right of him, a scary fire burning in his black-orange sectoral eyes. Sword in steady hand.

George stepped forward to the left of him, black goggles hiding his eyes. The tight grip on his own blade revealing the tension in his body. “He won’t, ever again.”

A warmth, despite the sharp pain and slow corruption, spread through Dream's limbs. Calming his swirling thoughts and memories. Damping the cool feeling of fear. Warming his frozen core slightly. He wasn’t alone this time.

Only to go back to being frozen solid when another very familiar voice spoke.

“Are you certain, Dream?”, came the slight giggled words of a very tall demon.

Bad sidled up next to the Warden, closely followed by the furry figure of Antfrost. Familiar tridents in hand, dark robes without their usual red lining and sickly looking red eyes instead of calming blue.

They had turned around. They had turned around not to stay behind as guards, but to intercept. This wasn’t good.

The black shadowy head of Bad turned to the gangly figure of the Warden. “Ant and I are reporting for duty”, he said, fangs flashing in his smile.

Sam nodded at the statement. He turned to the others, to Tommy and Tubbo and…

Fuck.

With a small start did Dream notice that more had joined their small confrontation. He could see the colourful mane of Puffy on one of the hills, walking closer steadily. The once supportive figure now stalking with turbulent emotions.

Jack had also shown up, staying a bit further away, but close by the side of Tubbo. Multicoloured glasses hiding his eyes, diamond gear sparkling with a few enchants.

Even further the Admin could spot Quackity approaching, followed by Karl and…

Even more were coming. He could feel their approaching feet on his earth.

Almost everyone was conglomerating on the scene. Almost everyone he had ever let onto his world.

Closing in on him. On him and his friends. Outnumbering him, surrounding him, boxing him in and cutting off more and more possible escape routes.

In the back of Dream's mind he noted that XD was down in the crust of the earth. Down in some kind of tunnel.

He didn’t have the time.

“Everyone who doesn’t work for Pandora’s Vault, please stay out of this. We will detain the escapee and deal with this appropriately”, the Warden spoke, voice making the grip on Dreams axe slick with sweat. His hands trembled unnoticeably.

The Admin took a deep breath and tried to speak, trepidation clogging his throat slightly. “Guys. We don’t have time for this. Any longer and the Egg…”

Abruptly the clang of netherite on netherite echoed over the scene.

Bad having lunged forward only to be stopped by Sapnaps blade meeting his. An almost feral snarl came from the demon, as Sapnap stepped forward against his possessed adoptive father.

That was the start of the chaos.

The Warden joined the fray, being kept back by a sudden intercepting George, determination visible on his features. Further clangs of weapons and the hollow thuds of wooden shields resounding over the gathering.

The only other prison guard being Ant, he thrust forward at Dream, following the others lead. From behind the Admin heard sudden approaching steps as the young figure of Tommy went for his open back.

He noticed thanks to his stretched senses, ducking and blocking the hits that came for him from both of them. Dodging and weaving, having a hard time to deal out any hits of his own.

Falling into the familiar pattern of fighting, not thinking, just reacting. Reacting to ever swing and lunge, ever punch and hit. Evading and trying to get some room to breathe.

His two attackers were however relentless.

Tommy followed his own style, open and reckless, normally easy to beat. Nothing like all the other opponents Dream had fought in his life. A matchup that was clear from the beginning.

Normally.

Antfrost was familiar in the role of fighting alongside someone else. Him also not being able to match Dream even on a good day. He however was able to support and stop Dream from taking advantage of any of the glaring openings Tommy had in his attacks. Prolonging the fight with every successful block and jab.

Dream was also still weakened.

Which meant that he was stuck in a sort of stalemate, keeping himself from harm as much as possible while defending and trying to deal out at least a few hits from his side as well as.

With every move another moment went by, with every action another second. Time was slipping through his fingers, the pulsing nauseating pain from Dreams bond reminding him with every throb of what was happening at this moment. At what was happening to his split part.

He didn’t have time.

He didn’t have time!

A sudden hit in his side let him gasp in pain.

It didn’t come from the two combatants he was engaged with. An arrow lodged in the separate chutes of his chestplate, sticking out for a moment before falling away. Not doing much damage.

Spreading however a familiar enchant over Dream's body, slowing his movements down. Limbs moving through the air like it was seemingly made out of syrup, the scales tipping suddenly. Not in Dreams favor. The slowness arrow having fulfilled its purpose.

Tubbo let his bow droop down with a whoop of success, punching the air in excitement at his successful shot.

Tommy and Ant tried to take advantage of this opening immediately, going in for another hit, moving in tandem, boxing Dream in, leaving him no way to escape.

Willing to maim. Willing to kill.

Intent on capturing him. On putting him back in that obsidian box.

He didn’t have time! They had to get away from him!

Dream abruptly swept his axe arm through the air, pushing the swirling power inside and from around him into the move. Sending a desperate thundering shockwave from himself outwards. Pushing his attackers and anyone close by away from him. Throwing them from their feet. Uncaring of friend or foe. Causing a slight ringing in everyone’s ears.

He didn’t have time for this!

“STOP!”, he thundered, power vibrating in his otherworldly voice. “Stop! Or we will all be screwed!”

The Admin inhaled, to keep going, when a sudden exploding pain snapped his neck to the side and made him fall over.

The powerful punch had blindsided him, making his already turbulent thoughts muted under the sudden hit he took. Breaking the strap of his mask and revealing his face along with the still glowing eyes. A small trickle of blood trailing from his nose.

Dream gasped as he impacted the ground. Shaking his head to get his brain straight again, he tried to get up on all fours, only to be kicked down with familiar hard tipped boots.

“Stand down prisoner”, a hissing voice said from above him.

With blurry vision did Dream see the Wardens figure against the backdrop of the darkened sky. The sun had disappeared behind the horizon. It reminded him strongly of something. Or somewhere. Of a past place. Of a past memory.

A jangling from the creeper-hybrids hips drew his chaotic gaze. All too familiar metal chains, ending in enchantment inscribed cuffs, dangled down from it. Dreams wrists and ankles ached, the feeling of something keeping them down, of encircling them, choking his next breath.

Another hot pulse of crimson pain, sharper than all the others before, let him double over, arms around his midsections. Breath coming too fast. Heat seemingly enveloping him.

Only dimly did he hear the next words, head still ringing from the punch. “You’ll be punished as you should for your insubordination, Dream.”

He’ll be punished. Punished again.

Not again.

_Please not again…_

The big hand that had kept the blond down so often before, grabbed one of his skeletal wrists, janking his arm from the protective posture around his core, from around his midsection. Taking away even the smidget of comfort the positioning had brought.

Panic ran rampant, fear churned in Dreams gut together with the disgusting sensation of something alien slowly taking over. Creeping ever more and ever stronger where it should not be allowed to go. Coming ever closer to reaching something it was not meant to reach.

He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t fight.

He was gonna go back, back, back…

Back to the black room. Back to the curtain of lava. Back to raw potatoes if he was lucky.

Back to punishments.

Back to slowly breaking.

_Please no…_

Dream was desperate. He gave a weak kick from his left leg at the Warden, only hitting netherite enchanted leggings, doing nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Only inspiring the ire of the cruellest figure in his world. Punishment following soon after. Retribution was another hard kick into Dreams stomach with glowing netherite boots, body forced to take the full brunt because of the captured arm keeping him in place.

He couldn’t get air! He was caught! He had to get away!

Get away! Get away. Get away…

_Help…_

Dream gasped desperately, pain ramping up even more, energy lashing wildly around him unseen. Trying, failing to do something, anything to stop this. Anything to keep him from going back to that hell. Thoughts too wild to direct his magic anywhere.

Slowly his weak and gasping body was lifted by his captured limb, torso leaving the earth as he was kept up by the strong hand of his captor. Dangling down limply and shaking from the painfully tight grabbed wrist.

The jangling of chains reached his ears again and threw his desperate mind into even more chaos, glowing eyes full of panic flickering unseeingly around. Seeing nothing but blurry vision and dancing dark spots. Nothing to help him. No one to help him.

Alone, alone, alone…

Helpless.

_Abandoned..._

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!”, came a sudden infuriated shout. Sapnap, Dreams mind registered.

A blurry figure ran into the green form of the Warden. Tackling him. Attacking him. Helping Dream.

Abruptly he was let go, falling back to the ground in a trembling gasping heap. Limbs shaking uncontrollably as he tried to inhale without pain. Tried to inhale air at all. Getting nothing but the familiar stinging in his chest.

Hands touched his skin. One on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. Another cool hand on the heated skin of his cheek. Running a thumb over his sharp cheekbones. Familiar in the gesture.

George.

“Dream, Dream, come on!”, the goggled man spoke. “Snap out of it! Ant and Bad are laughing! Something is happening!”

The Admin could hear it now as well, through the ringing in his ears, through his own shuddering breaths and the pounding of his heart. Victorious laughter from the two corrupted figures echoing over the scene. Madness and joy hearable in their tones.

Not their own. Something else’s.

The earth seemed to tremble under him as something big changed. Something bad. Something he had tried so hard to avoid.

His world screamed out in sudden torment at him, shaking him at his core. Begging him to fix what was happening. Only to be silenced with a familiar bad crimson numbness. Taking over everything it touched and invaded. Claiming everything with a burning hunger for more, more, more…

Fuck.

The alien feeling inside of him breached easily through his defenses, as the part that was split off was fully corrupted. As XD was fully taken by the Egg. Dreams eyes flickered a few times with glowing power in an attempt to resist, before turning back to their normal emerald green with a splotch of gold. Watery tears standing in them.

Nausea and fear returned tenfold as his insides were flooded with bad, bad wrong. Growing into creeping vines around his core, reaching what they should never touch, defiling the Admin in the deepest recesses of himself. Sickness flooded him.

With barely any coordination he managed to sit up a bit, turning away from George, only to throw up what was in his cramping stomach. Vomit splattered unto disturbed grass, taking the last of his energy with it. Trying to clear him from what was inside, not managing to purge anything other than the contents of his last meal.

This corruption wasn’t that easy to clear.

He wished it was.

The taste of acid was heavy on his tongue as he fell back to the ground, being kept from falling into his own pile of sickness thanks to the scrambling hands of his friend. A different sickness burned throughout his entire body, claiming what was not its. Taking over what belonged to Dream.

“I’m sorry…”, he weakly exclaimed. To whom he didn’t know.

A sudden tug at his form made everything go dark, as his body lost its material form for a second. As he was teleported away from his friend’s hands. Moved through space into the awaiting arms of the crimson. Into the awaiting vines of a parasite that was still hungering for more.

“DREAM!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, what did you all think? Excited? Horrified?  
> It's only going to get better still ;)
> 
> In all seriousness, hope you guys enjoyed it. Tell me your thoughts and feelings down below. Constructive criticism is also always welcome.
> 
> Till tomorrow! Stay safe and have a good day/night!


	3. Familiar touch and hunting steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream is in the claws of the crimson. A prisoner once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the tags!
> 
> Enjoy!

Teleportation had always been a weird way to move.

One second you’re here, the next over there. The sudden displacement always had side-effects, like disorientation, a twinge of pain at the landing, nausea and so on. Especially if Dream used his powers for teleportation, the side-effects could lead into a not so nice category, same as with too many ender pearls.

At least the instant movement was great for getting away or going somewhere.

Which was all nice and good, but Dream had already been in severe pain, disoriented and nauseous when he was dragged through space by a mouldy breakfast item. Meaning the side-effects stacked with what he experienced when he materialized again. Meaning no one could blame him for not moving immediately from the red fungus floor, trying to gasp for breath in a spore filled air.

His thoughts were blurred and panicky, pain and despair running rampant through the few strings of logic he could spin. The core of his being was being swamped in red and crimson, the same as his wheezing lungs.

A few twitches ran through him, but that was all he was capable of, tucked out as he was. His gut still hurt from the kicks, same as his face from the punch.

“Welcome Dream”, a familiar voice called.

Dream gave a wheezing whimper in answer, fear at what the other would do making his breath hitch abruptly, only to go back to his normal gasping. Mouth wide open and just trying to get air in his lungs. He was already corrupted inside out, a few bitter spores weren’t going to make much of a difference.

A few steps sounded from the left, Dream throwing a teary eye over to the noise, not seeing anything with the blurriness and dark spots dancing in his vision.

“You don’t seem very happy.” Dream just continued panting for breath. A finger snap sounded suddenly. “I know what could help!”

A full body flinch went through Dream, as abruptly something came in contact with his body. He wasn’t capable of doing more. His physical form too tired to do anything more. Just laying there as something like sentient strings began wounding itself around his limbs and body, tightening with every move.

Hadn’t Dream already been in something akin to a full-blown panic, he would have probably been in one now.

Suddenly the restraints grew taught, beginning to slowly lift Dreams body from the ground, which repeatedly switched between convulsing and laying limply in the new binds cradling him. After a moment Dream was semi upright, supported by what he recognized as vines, hands held fast above his head, feet swinging only by a hair in the air.

A new crimson vine creeped over Dream's head through his wild long hair and around his forehead, lifting it from its position of simply hanging onto his chest. The shiver that went through him at every touch was definitely not one of delight.

Now he could look straight ahead, through darkened vision, mouth open and still choking on trying to get more oxygen. Great. What an improvement this was.

“Let’s get ya fixed up, shall we?”, the figure said, red glistening skin refracting the light of one of Bads oldest friends. Skeppy stepping closer to Dreams limp hanging body.

The diamondlings hand reached up and laid on Dreams cheek, a silent mockery of the comfort that George had given the blond not even a minute before. Still Dream couldn’t help but enjoy the lightest bit of delight the touch of another living being brought him.

Unconsciously he leaned into it.

The corrupted Skeppy tilted his head slightly at the reaction. “We’ll make it quick, don’t worry.”

Dream couldn’t even think to ask what he meant by that, as suddenly, a jerk went through his body. With a stopped breath he looked down to his chest, seeing a pointy vine, as thick as a forearm, protruding through his torso, blood dripping from the tip of it. Having broken through his armor without a problem.

A choke came from his mouth, iron exploding onto his tongue and washing away the taste of acid.

The hand kept stroking his cheek. “Shh, shh, there we go.”

The pain that blossomed didn’t even have time to register between everything else going on, as the crimson vine retreated through his back, leaving an open gushing wound.

Luckily Dream didn’t have to witness his own stabbed chest for too long, as his mind grew weak and slowly extinguished. The familiar darkness of death taking him over.

_Dream was slain by *§^.?/#$}’´(-,_

With a loud gasp Dream respawned, a loud squawking filling the air. Confused and terribly through the wind did he try to reorient himself.

A sudden ball of feathers launched itself into his chest, bright cyan wings flapping around. The parrot crooning and warbling loudly, as it looked at its owner with worried black eyes.

“Beans?”, Dream brought out with a raspy voice. He quickly looked around. He was laying in his bed back in his base, the woollen texture of his sheets feeling weird on his sensitive skin after the sudden death.

“How..?”

He didn’t come further, as abruptly his core caught on fire again, the by now familiar feeling of the red alien invasion sending a sudden sharp pain through him. He doubled over, Beans flying around his head, whistling loudly in panic as Dream trembled at the feeling.

Then the sudden tug came, pulling at the stained bond that had once been between the Admin and XD. He only caught the tail-ends of a whistle from Beans, before he disappeared. The teleport was almost expected this time.

Didn’t make the nausea and disorientation any better. The pain kinda went under in the hellfire his body had become thanks to the corruption spreading around. Not that that was anything good, seeing as Dream doubled over as soon as he landed where the Egg wanted him to. Brought back where he had just died seconds ago.

This time the vines were faster, suddenly grabbing at his shaking body, binding his limbs and lifting him back into his former position. Luckily Dream could keep his own head up now, respawn having given him some new energy.

His breath was also way more controlled through his gritted teeth. Meaning no black spots and blurry vision.

Which is why he only now got a good view of his surroundings. What he saw horrified him.

The cavern he had visited all those months back was full of crimson vines and roots, growing and winding over stone and into the crust of the earth surrounding it. Spreading through it into the chunks around the epicentre of the corruption. Of the parasite. Small patches of lava and magma blocks littering the flow and letting the scent of smoke reach Dreams' nose.

It didn’t bother him as much as it used to.

The Egg, bigger and more vibrant than ever before, sat right before Dream, not even half a chunk away. Glowing yellow petals surrounding it and giving it more the vibe of a closed flower bud than of an actual egg. Looking almost nothing like what Dream had first laid his eyes on.

He let his vision wander further.

A small look up and down his body revealed tens of vines of different thickness, some big as a leg others thin as a finger, winding around his body. The crimson restraints came in a small amount out from the ground, anchoring his swinging feet. The largest part dangled down from the ceiling, disappearing in a mess of more vines and roots up there. Keeping him in the air. Letting him hang in his strung up prison.

Helpless.

“Welcome back!”, a neutral voice said. Dream looked immediately towards the red figure that was Skeppy. Or what was left of Skeppy. Even a few blocks away and currently preoccupied with other things did Dream notice the stench of the crimson’s power on him.

Skeppys body tilted his head, no emotion shown on his face. “Glad to see that it worked. You seem much better now.”

“Fuck off”, Dream pushed out trough gritted teeth, trying to stay functioning with the winding and alien weirdness creeping inside his being around his core.

“It seems we still aren’t able to take full control.”

The Admin winced as another flood of red and bad entered him, both through the spores he breathed and the stolen connection of XD. Painting his essence with all the wrongness he associated with the Egg, seemingly slithering through his mind and reaching every part of him that should never be touched in this way.

He was going to be sick again.

And still he could think for himself. Still the trembling in his limbs was his own. The fear and pain was also all him. No diming thoughts or loss of control happening yet.

His mind and body were his still.

Only every connection he seemed to be conscious of was taken over with the power of the Egg. Cutting him off from his own world and the power it provided for him. Keeping him from tapping into that connection. Isolating him even more, making him almost blind in the same sense he hadn’t been ever since the prison.

Ever since walls of obsidian and given land.

The possessed red diamondling tilted his head. An interested hum went through the air, amplified seemingly by the presence of the Egg before Dream. It ringed strangely in his ears, making one of his eyes twitch in discomfort. Not that he was comfortable in any way.

Muffled steps on weird fungi growths brought Skeppy closer. Stopping only less than a block away from Dream. He reached with one of his arms up to the dangling figure, making Dream unconsciously flinch slightly. A warm hand landed in the middle of the Admins chest, simply laying there.

A freaked-out shiver went through the captured blond. Panic, pain and the weird warm tingle at the touch confusing him.

“Your core is still closed off…” Brown-black eyes with flecks of unfamiliar red in them looked up to Dream. “Why are you still fighting?”

How was he still fighting?

His everything had been invaded and red slimy crimson blanketed his entire being. He was literally all taken over. Except his mind. Except the most fundamental part of his essence. Except his metaphorical heart. The complete centre of his being.

He felt the pounding and pulsing of what literally made him him. The core of his being, filled with magic and memories. Being his soul. The alien presence pushing against its pit like skin, not managing to get closer to breaking it in the least.

He couldn’t open that up.

“Why-why do you want more?”, Dream asked, voice hushed and weak with all that was pressing down on him.

“Because this isn’t enough.” A sudden hunger ran through the air, letting the blond shiver. “We might have absorbed the god, the centre of magic of you and this world, but it’s not enough.”

The sudden flicker of anger was surprising. It sprang up at the mention of what had happened to XD. Dream could feel it, even boggled down with all the Egg could throw at him.

His power, his magic, ran through the parasite before him. Eaten up. Absorbed. A part of the alien crimson mass before him. Strengthening it, allowing it to do so much more. Letting it spread and move much faster. Taking over more and more of what didn’t belong to it. Claiming what it thought was rightfully its.

All thanks to eating the source of almost all of Dreams power.

And still it wasn’t enough.

“Why in the End’s name isn’t it enough?! You’ve got almost all the power in my world now, what could you possibly ask more for?”

The hand on Dreams chest wandered higher, leaving shivering trails of tingling over his skin. Coming to a rest on Dreams neck, thumb running almost reverently over the Admins chin. Almost lovingly.

Dream shook his head and tried to get out of it.

The vines tightened and held him still, pulling painfully at his hair, tangled as they were in it. He was stuck, forced to just take the seemingly adoring gesture of whatever was possessing his friend before him.

“It’s not enough cause it’s still not everything.” Skeppy whispered directly into Dreams face, warm breath ghosting over his cheeks. The possessed suddenly took a step back, releasing the Admin from the ministrations of his hand.

“We want everything, not just some more power and land. Not just the possibility to strengthen what we already possess. Mind control, vines, all that stuff...” The diamondling made a dismissive gesture. “Teleportation is already nice and all, but still, so much of what is possible is kept from us. Kept back by you. Hindered by the restrictions you placed on the little god and yourself.”

A sudden finger snap and Dream felt another burning wave of pain run through his being, making him gasp and close his teary eyes. When he blinked them open again, Skeppy and him weren’t alone anymore.

A very tall shadowy demon had joined them. Bad was here now as well, looking slightly worse for the wear, but still chipper. The grey black figure gave an exciting wave at Dream.

Happily he greeted him: “Dream! Welcome into the fold! You’ll certainly enjoy it here.”

The Admin only frowned in answer, fighting down the aftereffect the sudden teleport had had. The needed energy being forcefully taken from his being. The power apparently still coming from him as the source. Hurting him when used by the Egg.

Dream gritted his teeth to control his breathing, spores tasting bitter on his tongue.

“How’s it going with the capture?”, Skeppy asked, having turned around and headed for the Egg in front of them.

“Great, great! Most of them have been marked, a lot are still fighting but if we do this correctly, we can bring them all down here”, Bad grinned at the words, flashing his sharp white canines.

“Then start with the capture.” The red possessed diamondling turned around, having reached the Egg and climbed up a small part of it. His eyes flickered to Dream. “Make sure he can watch, maybe it will crack his core.”

“What?”, “Will do”, sounded through the air, one voice weak and tired, the other happy and energetic.

Bad turned to the captured form of his friend, walking closer in big steps. Copying the moves of Skeppy before, he laid a soft dark palm on Dream's shoulder, leaning in close. Their foreheads touched, Dream trying to get back slightly, but the vines restraining him like before. Warm spore filled breaths mingled in front of them.

Grey eyelights, that seemed so kind from up close, twinkled slightly. “We’re gonna go for a little trip, alright Dream?”

Before he could give his answer he felt his perception being pulled out of his body. Similar to when he stretched his sense, but this time unwillingly. His sight and senses taken almost completely out of his original form, brought over into the body of the demon touching him. Of his possessed friend before him.

It wasn’t painful, not in the way that the invader in his body and mind was. It was just plain uncomfortable, suddenly stuck in the sight of someone else, seeing and hearing what they saw, not being able to control a single thing.

“There we go”, the voice in the body he largely inhabited said, sounding strange through its own vocal cords. Nothing like the voice he was used to.

The sight Dream saw was of his own body, wrapped in tens of different vines, hanging slack down in them. His breathing hitched with his discomfort, his perceptions still slightly linked with his normal form.

He looked awful. Plain and simple.

Pale and sporting a feverish flush on his skin, countless small red veins cropping up over it. Dark bruises under his closed eyes as eye bags, looking just painful in their intensity. A light frown upon his face from the discomfort and muted pain he still felt.

Cheekbones stood out still way too strongly over hollowed cheeks, countless scars and the skeletal wrists peeking out under his black shirt and the roots binding them. Being clear signs of what he had all gone through. What he was still going through.

The sight made him uncomfortable.

He didn’t have to look at it for long luckily, as Bad began to move, Dream taken along as a passenger spectator.

“Let’s go do some hunting Dream”, Bad spoke, foreign and warped delight surrounding him in his viewing position.

He wasn’t going to like what happened next. He was certain.

\-----

He had been right.

Tagging along in Bads head, he was forced to watch the slow hunting down of all his friends. Of all his associates. Of everyone who lived in his world.

One after the other.

It was soulsucking to see. No one could hide, the vines spreading far and wide, searching, finding, hindering. Bringing everyone with allegiance to the Egg upon them as soon as someone even stepped close to a part of the red corruption.

The few times the roots couldn’t find the fleeing and hiding inhabitants of his world, the crimson took another route. An even worse one, since it involved Dream himself.

Forcing itself into the essence of the Admin, it could use the existing bonds that still shined and connected him with every person ever brought to his lands. Using the power Dream held as nothing but a tool, burning corruption tracing almost lovingly along the string-like lines.

Searching out their wayward targets. The red hunters just needed to follow the literal roadmap Dream provided, to find and incapacitate anyone missing. To catch the last uncorrupted ones.

Unconscious, hurt and bound, but never killed.

Upon capture they were immediately teleported into the crimson cavern of the Egg itself, strung up somewhere in the vines similar to Dream. To be dealt with later. A small piece of the Egg all that was needed to make the instant movement possible, sending sharp convulsing shard straight through Dreams core whenever used.

It was almost comparable to watching the agony of everyone being sniffed out and caught. Helpless to do anything against it.

The worst were the ones that fought back.

Sapnap and George managed to last for a while, covering each other’s backs, used to suddenly being hunted in their Manhunts. Experienced in getting away when the time called for it. Only this time there was no getting away.

Sapnap went first, a sudden slowness arrow making it possible for Punz to wrangle him to the ground. The arsonist called for George to leave, to get away.

Dream screaming silently for both of them to just run. Heard by nothing but the host that kept him trapped. A sudden cutting burn through his essence silencing him when the crimson had had enough of his pleading and raging.

The begoggled man didn’t get far as well, Ant surprising him from up above. Having hidden in the treetops before the confrontation had started.

Then it was over.

Techno of course also put up a good fight. Dreams message having warned him in his snowy peaceful home.

He made his name true, the Blood God spilling so much lifeblood onto cold white. Painting the icy canvas red with the fluids of his enemies. Covering the escape of Ranboo, Philza bowing from afar as support. The winged man surprising no one with his accuracy, honed over centuries.

Their split up position became their downfall when crimson vines, growing incredibly fast from a little planted sprout, made the Angel of Death stumble in their retreat. Only to be met with a punch in the face by Bad and threatened with the sharp end of a blade.

The Blade himself was forced to surrender, the death of his closest companion not being an option he wanted to take.

Dream could only watch on in desperation as the two were bound in crimson vines, only to be instantaneously moved, eliciting a small whimper from his original body at the teleport.

It went on like this.

No matter how fast they were, Connor surprised in his home. No matter how far away, HBomb in his new base. No matter how supposedly powerful, Eret and Tubbo in their respective lands. And no matter how obscure, Ranboo in the frozen plains and Karl while fleeing from the Kinoko Kingdom with his books.

Everyone was caught by the crimson sooner or later.

Everyone.

Tommy, Niki, Jack, Quackity, Sam, Charlie, Callahan, Puffy, Hannah, Foolish…

Purpled as well, suddenly brought down before he could even try to stab them in the back, his sword having stayed in his hand for an opportunity that never came.

Everyone.

Well, except Ghostburr, but he had been absent for a while already. Lucky him.

But still, the worst fate was reserved for those that have been touched by the crimson, had been on their way to becoming a part of it or had once been a part of it.

It didn’t take much.

Just a little new exposure. Just another taste of that enveloping presence. Just a little bit of the stolen power from XD and Dream.

Just a little bit.

And they turned fully. Once again or for the first time.

The Eggpire grew plentiful with the addition of the resident nature spirit, the pirate sheep and the Warden. Old and new roots fastening in their psyche, taking hold once more or finally fastening its grip. Taking the will of those once free people and twisting it for its own gain. Laying their minds in crimson chains, to follow its commands.

It hurt to watch.

It hurt to know that this would be the fate of everyone with time.

It hurt slightly to know that it would happen to Dream as well.

His earned bloody freedom to be taken once again.

He wouldn’t allow it. He had sworn it. He had sworn to never be imprisoned again. To never be an inmate in any system again.

He normally kept his word. He would make sure to keep it once again.

Unnoticed by the Egg a defiant flame continued to flicker inside the Admin. A plan slowly starting to form.

It would pay dearly for all that it had done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, that just happened. The entire world is now in true danger.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed, tell me what you thought in the comments down below!  
> Constructive criticism is also welcome.
> 
> Next chapter tomorrow!  
> Have a great day/night, stay safe!


	4. Hard decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SMP has been taken over. The Egg still hungers for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm gonna be serious for a moment here.  
> This chapter is pretty heavy, since it contains themes of forced suicide and torture, so please take another look at all the tags and make certain you are comfortable with them. If you are not, I'll leave a small summary in the End Notes, so that you can still continue reading if you want, catching up without the immersion I normally try to bring.
> 
> I don't want any of you guys feeling bad because of my writing, so please, take care.
> 
> Well then, enjoy!

A very loud gasp echoed, as Dream was put back in his body.

Mind and perception aligned back with his rightful vessel. A cough followed shortly after, as he tried to get used to the sudden bitter taste of the spores again.

The corruption churned under his skin, biting and clawing further at his closed core, not gaining the least amount of entrance but causing a decent amount of nerve ending pain.

“Welcome back Dream!”, greeted him the cheerful voice of Bad.

He had to blink a few times, still getting used to having control over his body again, clearing the slight tears. Man, these spores were annoying.

As soon as his blurry sight had been cleared, did he take a careful look around. Well, at least as far as the vines in his hair and around his head allowed. The tall dark figure before him was weird to see, especially after all those hours spent inside his head.

Behind Bad was the imposing figure of the Egg once more, golden petals, hanging vines and…

Was that a sleeping Skeppy on top?

_What?_

He got pulled out of his confused staring by Bad continuing on. “I was kinda getting worried, you were pretty silent at the end there.”

“Just stewing in my own regret and agony”, replied Dream with a scratchy voice. He could really do with a drink right about now. Dehydration was not on the list of things he wanted to try out again.

The heat of the prison had always kept him fairly dehydrated. Sometimes the Warden had elected it as his punishment to remove all the water in his cell, filling his respawn hole with hay. Dying had been a painful process, him limiting his movements as much as possible to prolong his death.

In those periods he had been left alone, no sessions to be held.

Just dying slowly thanks to his body drying out breath by breath.

Would he kill himself in the lava to force a respawn and put his suffering on hold, the Warden would stop the period of no sessions immediately and visit him, armed as usual with his pickaxe. Not replacing the water when he left Dream behind in a trembling heap.

Restarting the wait for the moment the blond's body would give in naturally. His starved form not holding on any longer.

Three days was a long time to go thirsty.

But anyway, Dream lightly shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Of the memories.

He had other problems at the moment. Bigger ones.

“Nice to hear that you enjoyed our hunting trip as well then”, Bad answered, white smile a stark contrast to the black skin.

“Oh definitely.” Sarcasm laid heavy on his tongue, as Dream rolled his eyes.

“Perfect” Bad clapped in his hands loudly. Dream wondered how Skeppy could sleep through it. “Now, since we’ve got all the stragglers rounded up. On to the next task.”

“And that would be?”

“Getting into your core.”

Dream froze at the words. Froze at the implications. “What?”, he asked, voice dry and low.

Bad continued on, moving around the captured Admin. “We can’t just leave things as they are. That would be silly you little muffinhead.”

Surprisingly, the restraints that kept Dream hanging, that wound around every part of his body, followed the demon. A slight creaking sounding from the ceiling as the vines shifted their position according to the infected man before Dream. Slowly but surely he turned around, cursed Egg now at his back.

He gasped as he saw what had been behind him.

There, his friends were. Well, acquaintances. Enemies?

No matter.

There they were, in a similar position as Dream. Some more entangled than others. Some still bloodied and ruffled from the hunt.

No one was unconscious anymore, after the instantaneous transport having been healed with a quick splash potion. The Egg wanted its future subjects in perfect condition. Or its future food.

Souls were a great way to further one’s power.

Which meant that as Dream turned around, he was met with the stares of every of his SMP members' eyes. The corrupted ones patrolling between the hanging vines, weapons in hand, attention sharp and watchful.

The closest were Technoblade and Eret, both still in full armor, a few blood splatters decorating his rivals pink hair and skin. Watchful red eyes staring intently at Dream, burrowing into his entire appearance and picking it apart. Limbs bound with the thickest roots Dream had yet to see.

The crimson wasn’t dumb. It didn’t take any chances with the Blade. Sadly.

Erets sunglasses seemed to have been lost in the scuffle of the hunt, completely white eyeballs looking at Dream as well. Crown skewed and royal gown missing. A purple bruise on one of their cheeks.

A bit further to the right was George, his goggles still on top, one of his hands flexing experimentally. Stopping the movement as Ponk walked by, red yellow ski mask moving about, following his head's watchful gaze.

Sapnap was stuck in the same vine pillar as George, his nose moving left and right. He let out a sudden sneeze, only to fall into a slight coughing fit as he got a good helping of spores in.

A few “Bless you” went around.

The arsonist glanced up after he was done, face tilted towards Dream with too many emotions to count.

Foolish was also visible, being literally buried in red, only his head sticking out. Emerald eyes looking defiantly down at Hannah, who was standing guard before him. The crimson taking apparently no chances with the Totem God.

And it went on like that.

Tommy and Tubbo were also within easy sight, as was Philza, his half-burned wings held up by a truly astounding amount of vines. Quackity was also semi close by. At least Dream could see the glare the shorter was giving him with dark eyes, one marked by a scar Dream hadn’t really had the chance to see yet.

More people were also visible but Dream didn’t have time to take stock of them all, as Bad stepped way too close next to him. Again, a hand was laid on the skin of his neck. Softly, seemingly with care, causing the warm tingles Dream felt with every warm touch. The feeling mixing together with the fear he felt, leaving him with a truly confusing combination.

The palm of Bads hand rested exactly on his canon death scar from Tommy.

Dream tried to shy away from the contact, but his restraints held fast. He only managed to get the slightest bit of movement in, which Bad immediately made up with followed along.

“Now Dream, we’ve got a bit of a problem here”, the demon started, the thumb once again stroking carefully over Dream's pale skin, letting a slight shiver go down his spine.  
“The problem is that we want everything this world has to offer. Everything.”  
His grip suddenly became tighter on Dream's neck. “Which means we also want full control. Control, which you are withholding from us.”

A painful pulse went through Dream again, as the corruption in him wiggled about, scratching at his core like a dog begging to be let in. He could only jolt at the sensations, as his restraints seemed to tighten even more. A bit more and he would start to get concerned over his blood circulation.

Despite that, the Admin gritted his teeth, tilting his head with a pained smile. “And what makes the Egg think that I would just give it away?”

“Oh, we thought of a few methods. One of which we are gonna immediately try out”, the demon said, removing his hand suddenly and bringing his focus towards the vine filled cavern that housed all the people of this world.  
“Bring Tommy here!”, he shouted.

Immediately, exclamations from the entire ensemble were heard. Saying they should leave the boy alone, cursing out the Egg and its followers out, pleading to keep the teenager from harm.

The crimson didn’t care.

It tightened visibly its restraints around the vocal parties, choking them from air and keeping them quiet in this way. Only releasing a bit when they were already turning slightly blue. When they were silent once again.

Only the teen in question wasn’t silenced.

With rough hands Tommy was taken out of his slithering vine prison by Punz and Antfrost, both keeping a hold of an arm. Keeping the blond teenager between them, as they approached with the still struggling and loudly cursing boy.

“Let go, bitches. I swear I’ll pummel you into the ground if you don’t…”

A hard shove sent Tommy crashing into the ground before Bad and Dream, landing on the stone floor. Although it was more roots at the moment than stone. Immediately the teen went to get up, head whizzing about and hands trembling.

He didn’t get far in his efforts, as a sudden presence pushed down on the scene, heavy and unforgiving. Locking Tommys limbs in its current posture as the wrong wrong bad of the crimson slithered into his mind and let him freeze.

Dream could feel how the Egg was strumming at the controls of Tommys body, taking hold of the teen. Making him stand up robotically, eyes filled with fear and unshed tears. A partial possession with an intact mind happening right in front of everyone.

It reminded the Admin strongly of what he sometimes did to mobs.

“See how strong the little godling has made us, Dream”, came the sudden purred statement from next to him. “Just this and we can spread our influence to even the one who wouldn’t listen.”

Bad stepped closer to Tommy's frozen form, stalking a small circle around the teen.

“Imagine what we could do with all the power. No fights, no discord. Just peace! Even the most stubborn of minds under our control.” The demon looked with acted hopeful eyes to Dreams captured form, laying his hands on the frozen boys shoulders.

“We could go back to how things used to be”, he whispered softly, something akin to longing in his clear voice. “We could be just one big happy family again, having fun and enjoying this beautiful world!”

The thoughts in Dream stilled at the choice of words. The slithering inside him noticed immediately, making Bad smile with flashing canines.  
“Doesn’t that sound good?”

Dream took a deep breath, emotions warring within him. So many thoughts and feelings, made harder by the choking crimson in his mind. His eyes flickered to the teen that had caused him so much grief. Who he had caused so much grief.

What a pity that it would come to this.

Abruptly a snort came from the Admin, another one following shortly, turning into full-blown hysterical laughter with the next one. Small tears escaped his eye corners as he almost laughed maniacally into the spore filled air.

Causing concerned glances to be shared between the uncorrupted, confusion on the faces of the corrupted.

“You- you...”, another round of laughter escaped, high with emotion and pain. It ebbed only slowly, Dream's head coming to rest on his chest, as he let out the last forceful lungs of air in mirth.

He lifted his head, a mocking smile over his lips. “You really thought you could get me with that, didn’t you? A happy family. From whom did you hear that, you stupid mouldy breakfast item?!” Dream glanced to Punz, who stood next to the frozen teen with a hard look on his face.  
“It was Punz wasn’t it?”

Dream shook his head. “No matter…” He lifted his head abruptly and shouted at the ceiling: “Forget ever having this world you fucking parasite! I refuse to ever be caged again and I don’t care if you can fulfil my seeming every wish! I won’t allow imprisonment to be an option as long as I have a choice! Ever! For no one! So take your offer and shove it up your ass!”

Dream had to take a deep breath of the spore filled air, it scratching especially hard in his abused lungs. He started coughing violently, as the red alien in him flared with splitting pain.

The vines holding him, not allowing him to double over into a relieving position for the violent feelings inside him. At most he managed to lean slightly forward with his chest, head bowed down as he hissed through his teeth at the punishment for his words.

The bubbling of lava and the slight shifting of roots were for a moment all that was heard.

“Well, that is a bit of a setback. But no worries, we can immediately go to plan B”, came a chipper voice.

Bad whirled around suddenly, his enchanted sword in his fingers. With a few steps he walked in front of Tommy, pushing his swords handle into the stiff hands of the boy's still frozen body.

“Give us your core or we will make your friends kill themselves.”

Dreams head snapped up. With wide eyes, slightly panting, did he watch the young blond take the given sword. Fingers slowly curled around the handle. With mechanic movements Tommy's body turned it around and pointed it inwards towards his own gut.

Thoughts flashed through Dream's head, everyone in the room silently watching, holding their breath at his answer. The Admin schooled his features into a cold mask of indifference. No emotion being readable in his face, staring straight ahead at the controlled teen and the demon.

The uncorrupted were held tight in their restraints, the vines threatening with slow movements anyone that wanted to speak. That dared to think of even speaking.

The corrupt watched the happenings with hungry eyes. The strange emotion not coming from them. Instead coming from their master.

“You wouldn’t want to lose a pawn”, Dream spoke quietly.

Bad giggled slightly. “Oh, we beg to differ. Tommy is a hard one to stay in control of, him being gone isn’t that bad. And if we really want him back, we just get the book and take your blood, Admin.”

“What?”

“Don’t think we don’t know what it takes to bring someone back. The will and the lifeblood of an Admin with a connection to the world they died in. Sound familiar, Dream?”, Bad teased, glowing eyes tightening in delight.  
He stalked closer to Dreams captured form. “And the best is, only we can bring them back, with you stuck like this. Maybe we’ll even continue killing them and reviving them, watching as they slowly and surely succumb to pain and agony.” Bad flashed a white grin.  
“Wouldn’t that be delightful?”

Dream stared back with hard emerald eyes and a splotch of gold in the middle. “Kill him then, I hate him anyways.”

Outraged shouts sounded from the ensemble, only to be quickly choked off.

“Are you sure Dream?”, the demon asked, eyes narrowed inquiringly.

Thoughts ran rampant through the Admins head. Tommy was on his last life. This could kill him. He could actually kill him like this. He could die for the last time.

His feelings were such a mess regarding the boy, hating him, fearing him, as well as remembering a nostalgic time past where a friendship had bloomed between them. Guilt pounded with his racing heart at what he had already done to him and past justifications began fighting it out in his head once again.

But this wasn’t important right now.

Despite that inner turmoil, Dream answered with a clear hard: “Yes.”

Silence followed the statement. Horrification in the eyes of most.

Bad only shrugged his shoulders. “Well, yours to regret later.”

He looked upon the trembling teen, whose eyes were overflowing with wet tears, lip wobbling in despair and fear. Frozen form not able to do much more than that, with the control the crimson had taken of him.

The demon just nodded once.

The pressure upon the scene began to weigh down even more. The presence of the crimson taking a hold of Tommys limbs, puppeteering them with strings of red. It made the teen pull back the sword, lifted far enough from his torso to get the velocity he would need. Stopping once the optimal positioning was reached.

Ready to make Tommy plunge the blade into his own gut.

Expressive bright blue eyes closed in preparation for what was about to come. The eyelids trembled slightly by being pressed close so tightly.

There was nothing anyone could do but watch in silent horror. A few stray tears glimmered like diamonds on a select few hopeless faces. Some closing their eyes as well and looking away.

Abruptly the pressure acted, sword moving down as unwilling arms were forced to do an atrocity. Forced to kill the body they belonged to.

Intent on ending a young life way too soon. Intent on cutting the final of three cords keeping him in the world of the living. Intent on stopping the ferocious heart beating in Tommy's chest for the last time.

The Admin acted.

Suddenly another force erupted onto the scene, pushing the alien presence away and cutting the puppet strings on the teen. Replacing them with his own.

The heavy mind of the Admin taking over the happenings, redirecting the sword to the side, letting it go past without hitting anything.

A clatter echoed in the cavern as the deadly blade was dropped from shaking fingers, the Admin pulling back his forceful will.

Tommy dropped to his knees, a loud sob escaping him as he could finally move and act again, the presence of the crimson still held back by the energy coming from the core of the world. From the centre of Dreams being. Spreading a feeling of warmth and the taste of fresh winds.

Only for the continuous flow to be abruptly stopped as a sudden slap let claw marks rake over Dreams cheek, followed by the invasive red slithering inside his body burning like molten lava. A gasp escaped Dream as his concentration was cut short and a sudden forceful hand took him by the neck, squeezing it. Choking him slightly.

“Why did you do that, Dream?”, came the disappointed voice of BadBoyHalo, as he choked his friend in his restraints. “Why stop it?”

The blond spit out a glob of blood onto the vines closest to him, red trails leaking from the new claw marks and his nose. Why always the nosebleeds?

“No one deserves to be forced to take their own life. No one”, he took a panting breath. “And especially not for my sake.”  
Dream grinned suddenly, blood painting his teeth in a red smile. A kind of manic glee shining in his eyes. “And I will continue to interfere, as long as I must, even if I have to take every scrap of me to do it. Even if I have to use my power to control another person."  
He tilted his head questioningly, grinning still. "So, what are you going to do about it?”

Bad stared into emerald eyes with a splotch of gold with an expressionless face. Then a deep sigh escaped him, as he let Dream's neck go, leaving a red handmark on the pale skin.

“You’ll have to be punished for this”, the demon said, taking out a lava bucket from his inventory. The molten stone hissing slightly in warning. “We’ll try something else when you’re back.”

Dream couldn’t even get a word in, before the hot burning liquid was poured over him. Setting him on fire. Melting his skin and muscles. Blackening his bones. Familiar agony flowing over him as he was given the worst shower in history by his possessed friend.

A broken scream echoed through the cavern together with the bubbling of lava.

_Dream tried to swim in lava in an attempt to escape ß’@.d! &|°hq/*_

\-----

Dream woke up with a gasp in his bed again. Immediately he flung himself from the sheets, ignoring the surprised and concerned whistling of Beans. He didn’t have much time. Not much at all before he would be brought back.

The chestlid clanged against the stone wall as he desperately searched for what he needed. Glad that he had taken to sorting his chests more carefully, meaning he knew what he seeked had to be in here. Items shoved out of the way, until he finally got a glimpse of grey with cracked red.

Before he could however reach in, wracking pain went through his being, a strong tug beginning to take him away.

“NO, Beans the fire…!”

And he was displaced again, leaving behind a panicked trilling cyan parrot and an open chest.

This time the landing was even rougher, Dream stumbling from the instant movement of his body.

He stood on trembling limbs, fighting down the nausea and pain, head whipping around to orient him at where he was.

Red, red, red, everywhere red.

With a sudden intake of breath did Dream duck down and evade to the side, as countless vines converged on where he had just stood. Missing him by a fraction of a second.

The crimson in him sent a sudden slashing pain through his chest, akin to being cut open by a blade. He flinched at the sudden hurt, a hand going up to his heart in reaction. Finding nothing on the outside.

Flickering eyes tried to get an overview of the situation, tried to see where the next danger would come from. They once again missed the hit from behind that knocked him down with a gasp, head ringing at whatever had kissed his skull so violently.

“You can’t ever listen, and do as you are told prisoner, can you?”, an all too familiar voice sounded from behind, armoured footfalls stepping along Dreams prone body. He shivered at the all too familiar dynamic, trying to lift his head, trying to get up despite the swaying of the ground under him.

A harsh hand took hold of his long locks, eliciting a hiss, as his head was forcefully pushed into the mushy fungi ground. The weight of a knee suddenly pressing into his spine, keeping him down.

“What are you gonna do about it, Sam?!”, he spit out with his cheek mushed against the floor. “Are you gonna burn me or drown me or just plain beat me again?”

The pressure on his head and back increased. Still he flickered a bright green eye up to the Warden, who looked back down, expression hidden behind his mask. Familiar fear and panic running through Dream at the sight, as well as the familiar spite that had kept him going for so long in Pandora’s Vault.

“What’s it gonna be? Wanna try another session?” He snarked hatefully.

The answer came from out of Dreams sight. “You know, why not? He’s still too willful to give up Warden. Why don’t you do what you do best?”

He couldn’t see the speaker but he could imagine the pleasant smile that Bad wore while saying this.  
“Finish your job and break his will.”

A sudden coolness spread through Dream at those words. Not again.

Please not again.

He sent one look around, desperate eyes searching for anything he could use. Seeing nothing. Only captured and possessed familiar faces looking down at the proceedings. Not able to help or not willing to help.

As was always the case.

Dream tried to buck wildly once, managing only to slightly jostle the creeper-hybrid keeping him down. The attempt at dissent immediately being rewarded with his head being lifted and painfully slammed into the ground. He saw flashes of light behind his eyelids.

His body went limp as he tried to gather his mind again. Dream only dimly noticed when the hand in his hair suddenly left, letting loosened curly strands fall back over his face. The weight on his back disappeared, as the jingling of metal was heard.

One of his hands was taken roughly, as a familiar cool cuff was placed over Dreams bracelet-like scars on his wrist. Dread spread through his entire foggy mind, when with the click of the second one he finally registered what was going on.

A hand, familiar and oh so hated, took Dream by the shoulders and flipped him onto his back, now bound hands being restrained with the metal cuffs under him. He tried to move them, only to hiss as the restraints cut more into his wrists.

His sight was however immediately focused onto the Warden, as he removed the glowing enchanted netherite pickaxe from his back. Tension and fear spread throughout Dreams' entire body. Him remembering the pain and damage the mining tool had already done to him. Had done to him repeatedly.

And still, with a defiant core in his being, did he spit our following words: “Do your worst.”

The Warden wasn’t one to be told twice, swinging down immediately into Dreams helpless form.

Again painful screams echoed in the cavern, making everyone watching cringe in plain horror. Everyone who was still in possession of their right mind.

\-----

_Dream was slain by Ä’#.§â°µ9´/?d;=* using Warden’s Will Breaker_

With a wheezing breath did Dream open his eyes on his bed. Before he could even try anything, the tugging at his corrupted connection already began to call him back.

He wouldn’t make it in time to his chest.

He would have to do this again.

Despite that knowledge he tried to get up, as the stone room in front of him already began to slowly disappear. He definitely wouldn’t make it.

He would still make an attempt.

But before he got far, a little whistle echoed in the room. Several of the same item fell into Dreams lap, being taken into his inventory immediately.

The Admin froze in slight disbelief.

Slightly tearful emerald eyes looked up into the black concerned ones of a fluttering cyan parrot, who dropped the last of what Dream so desperately needed into his grasp.

“You’re our saviour, Beans”, the Admin spoke, his voice weak with hope.

The squawk he got in answer was cut off as he was transported through space again. Dream was taken once more.

This time however ready. This time with all that he needed. This time with the knowledge that his plan could come to fruition.

This was the time.

He would die trying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short summary:  
> The entire SMP ensemble has been caught. With literally everyone in its grasp the crimson sets its sights on the last remaining thing it still needs to claim. The core of Dream and all the control the Admin has over his world. The centre of Dream that he has to allow it in.  
> To do so it first promises to fulfill his wish of one big happy family, showing its capabilities in doing so by taking control of Tommy's body, his mind still intact. Dream refuses.  
> Further it threatens him with forcing all his friends to kill themselves, starting with Tommy. Dream refuses again, saying the crimson wouldn't want to loose their precious puppets. It reiterates with stating that with Dream and his status as Admin, it can revive anyone it wants. Dream still doesn't give in, making the Egg try to force Tommy to kill himself. The proceeding is stopped when Dream interferes with his own power as the Admin, without the help of his world, freeing Tommy and promising to keep interfering should the crimson try again.  
> Infuriated by this, the Egg makes Bad first burn Dream in lava, before unleashing the Warden on him. Torturing him. Dream respawns twice, both times desperately trying to get something out of his base, only managing to get it with the help of Beans after he is killed the second time.  
> Now with the items he has tried to get all along in his inventory, Dream is ready to kick-start his plan into action.
> 
> Now on to the actual End Notes. Hope you all enjoyed despite some of the happenings in it!  
> This was one hell of a ride to write and I'm so excited for the next chapter! Additional fun fact, I wrote this before the Quackity lore stream so... It may be the wrong character but man if that isn't a bit of a coincidence.
> 
> As always, if you have thoughts, feelings and theories you wanna share, I always love to see it in the comments down below. Constructive criticism is also welcome.
> 
> Next and final chapter tomorrow! It's the finale!  
> Hopefully till then, have a great day/night and stay safe :D


	5. A will unbroken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freedom shouldn't need to be a thing to be earned. Dream is gonna fight for his anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!
> 
> Enjoy!

The haggard green man appeared the same as before, suddenly and without a sound, in a large cavern filled with twisting roots and reaching vines.

Several faces, some with tears in their eyes and blue tinged lips from their shouts, from what they had just witnessed happening, looked up at the arrival. Emotions clearly on display on their faces, as they saw the tortured soul be brought back into the awaiting arms of the parasite that had them all in a chokehold.

Sapnap was the most obvious, jolting and pulling at his restraints. “Leave him alone you bastards”, he shouted, only to be choked again.

It didn’t matter.

The fire he was born from so clearly in his eyes, promising to burn anyone and everyone who had done his brother harm as soon as he came free. Rage and anger overshadowing the fear he felt for himself and his friends.

George looked on as well, goggles masking his eyes, face neutral and seemingly apathetic. Those that knew him well however could see the slight trembling in his lips, the suspicious crease in the corner of his eyes. His free hand flexing experimentally, urging for a weapon to hold.

Techno was also an interesting case. Crimson red eyes focused on the form of his rival, the former being slightly disturbed at the blood that had been shed over the last few hours. The last few days?

The way it had been shed. A cacophony of voices screaming and shouting in the half-piglins head, asking for revenge and payback. Mirroring his own buried feelings. Only a few smaller whispers crying in concern and fear.

There was also the periodic twitching of Philzas winged appendages, the stoic face of Tubbo, the horrified look of confusion on Tommy, who was back stuck in the vines, having been forced to watch the torturing spectacle like everyone else.

Conflict in Quackitys eyes, sympathy in the Totem Gods ones, dwindling hope in the ones that were one red one green. It went on like this.

Everyone could hear the loud gasp from Dream, a man they had seen bloody and broken, as he noticed he was back in the place it had just happened.

All of the occupants of the cavern witnessed how the Admins body suddenly crumbled to his knees. They all saw how dull emerald eyes with a splotch of gold looked up into the ceiling, lacking any energy or life.

They all observed what they thought to be a broken man, whispering words they had never hoped to hear from him in this situation.

“I give up.”

A delighted grin went over Bad's face, a joyful purr came from Ant. The corrupted ones in between the crimson vines stopped their patrolling, looking as one over towards the spectacle. At the same time they began to move towards the fallen Admin, building a circle in the outreaches of the free space that had housed everything that had happened before.

Some small puddles of leftover blood still dripping down the roots of the same colour. The Warden standing by the side, a pickaxe stained with the same liquid in hand.

Dream didn’t visibly take notice of what was happening around him, continuing to stare up into the ceiling, just repeating himself again. “I give up”, he said softly.“Take it all if you so dearly want it.”

With those words he opened his core, until now being better closed off that any vault, letting the crimson corruption sink in. Opening the way for the flood.

A delighted humm, hearable by all, came from the Egg, as it finally claimed the last piece it needed to become the god of this world. The controller of all. The master of all the lands and dimensions. Forever being fed in its unending hunger. Forever being served as the one above all.

It rushed in with all its power, ready to take over the deepest recess of the Admins essence. Painting him forever in its crimson glory. Staking its claim on what it saw belonged to it. Bringing along the part that it had stolen already from the Admin.

Dream felt how the missing hollow of his magic was filled with what had once been XD. Strings that had connected the two finally bringing home the splintered off piece. Unintentionally being swept along in its advances. Completing the puzzle that had been Dream before, as the slimy alien presence of the crimson flooded him.

He let it. Keeping his core open.

He let it stake its claim, he let it wind its vines inside him, he let it bury its roots in his metaphorical heart. He let it all in.

He welcomed it with open arms. Taking in all the Egg poured into him. And as the stream slowly began to ebb, he began to pull even more in.

The confused presence followed the pull, filling up even more of Dreams core. Being enveloped in the Admins magic. Dream called for even more. Tugging with his mind at the strong thick link of red that connected him now to the Egg.

The crimson said no. This was enough to control.

Dream didn’t care and began to take more. Suddenly violently pulling at the new link. Sucking in even more of the alien being.

The Egg began to panic slightly, as it couldn’t stand against the riptide that was beginning to pull it in. It tried to resist as reaching claws, humming with the energy of an infuriated powerful Admin, sank into its own essence and dragged it into the body of a haggard tired man.

Only now did the crimson actually take a look at what it was claiming. Only now did it recognize the Admin they were staining. Only now did it realize what he was doing. Only now did it realize what for a grave mistake it had made.

It began to call to its followers. Called for its corrupted warriors.

Humming a relaxed tune, Dream opened his blazing eyes, purple, red and green swirling in his irises, as the returned part of him allowed him the connections he had lost so long ago. XD having finally become one with him again. The taste of power was sweet on his tongue, as energy from all three dimensions coalesced onto the scene.

All of it was used to continue to pull the parasite into Dreams core, coating the reaching vines of the wrong bad bad presence and hauling it back in, cutting the small roots that would wither away on their own. Reaching and tugging and pulling the leech from his world. Little by little. The Egg found less hold with every connection Dream cut, with every thread he burned.

However, the possessed people of the Eggpire were lunging at what was attacking their master. At who was trying to take the Egg in.

Dream brought forth with a quick hand what he had collected from Beans. Small Grey spheres, the surface full of magma colored cracks. Fire charges, normally so harmless they were mostly useless, given in trades he had had with several piglins.

A small sliver of power was all it took and the red cracks turned blue.

Without seeing but knowing, Dream threw them. Missing the corrupted ones that had started to turn and come closer. Who were almost in reach of his preoccupied body. His mind almost fully needed in wrangling with the crimson.

The changed fire charges hit the vines and roots that held his friends captive. Flickering into existence a burst of soul fire that latched onto the red infestation, burning them faster than should be possible.

Vines and roots blackened to sooty ash, turned into grey smoke that curled up to the ceiling of the cavern, billowing away any red spores in the air. Clearing the room for the uncorrupted ones.

Loosening the restraints. Freeing them.

Techno was the fastest as Dream had hoped for.

With inhumane speed the half- piglin reacted, charging at the possessed followers of the Egg, blocking their hits on Dream's frozen body with his own summoned trident and sword. Pushing away the advancing onslaught of the possessed.

Back at their captures they hadn’t even tried to check if they had relieved him of everything. Same as with everyone else.

Meaning that when Philza and Tubbo and George and Sapnap…

Everyone…

When everyone charged into the battle that they had seemingly lost already, they had weapons and tools in their hands, determined to stop the infestation that had befallen their lands. Joining Techno in his raging fight. Spite and fury fueling them all.

Protecting the frozen body of Dream in the middle. His hair floating slightly with the flickering power he gathered, sometimes convulsing in pain in his spectral fight. More and more of the vile alien being taken into his centre.

Taken prisoner in the Admins core.

Dream was careful in his cutting and losing and absorbing, when he came to the entangled strings that bound his possessed friends. Taking extra caution with pulling out the weed that had grown in their minds. That had dictated their every action ever since it had sprouted there. Ever since their thoughts hadn’t been their own.

The smell of smoke stung in Dreams lungs, as he tried to keep breathing through the bloated feeling of his core. The blue soul fire he had set happily crackling away, despite having no soul sand or soul soil nearby to explain its color. Giving shifting shadows and a seemingly cool light to the scenery of chaos and fighting. Creating a strong contrast to the lava and red that normally was spread over the cavern.

Some of the Eggs followers tried saving their hosts body from the hungry flames by pouring water over them. Dream couldn't allow that. It needed to disappear, it all needed to be get rid of, so that he had a better chance in his wrangling.

With a single thought did Dream give the waters the same blessings he had given the stream in church prime. One of healing and hope, love and protection. Turning the once helpful water into something akin to burning acid to the roots.

That gave him an idea. The absorption was already taking too long. Why not help along by destroying all the open roots in one fell swoop?

“Foolish”, the Admin called, the weight of the world echoing in his voice.

He didn’t have to wait long. Through the chaos of a slowly won battle fast steps approached.

“Dream?”, called a softer voice from next to him.

The Admin turned with unseeing eyes to the Totem God, colours flickering wildly through them, still more concentrated on what he was doing inside than out. He reached out a hand, it being taken in the careful grey blue cold fingers of the one he had called for. A flicker of power he could spare jumping over to the older.

“Make it rain”, he said to the God of the oceans and the sky.

With a silent nod Foolish did so. Using the portion of power he had received, rain began to fall upon the Overworld, dripping down onto roots that had spread way too far through the lands. The sound of thunder announcing the downpour majestically. Unnoticeable in the crust of the earth.

One thought and all the droplets were blessed as well, melting away every bit of corruption they touched. Cleansing the surface of the crimson roots. Bringing feeling and life back into lands that had been forced into numbness for so long.

A silent bit of relief went through Dream as he felt the slumbering parts of his world wake up again. Only to grit his teeth in pain when he continued to wrangle with the crimson presence he was sucking into his core. It's hold being weakened with every destroyed part of its physical body.

It wouldn’t come easy. Even if more and more of its anchors were slowly destroyed or taken away. It was a clingy pesky thing.

And it was resourceful.

A few manifested roots tried digging its way out of Dreams skin. Physical form summoned from all he had already absorbed. Some of these wriggling vines managing to reach his forearms. Trying to escape by leaving their captors body by force. Painting vine-like slithering patterns under the flesh surface. Not managing to get any further as the Admin stopped the endeavour with the crushing weight of his will.

He couldn't allow a single piece to escape. Sweat stood on his brow and his body trembled on his knees still, physical signs of what he was fighting and trying to capture in the spectral realm of energy, essence and memories.

But as always, he managed, panting breaths and flickering eyes.

He wouldn't lose this fight. He would survive it. He would conquer it.

For it was the parasite and he the master, it the Egg and he the Admin. It was his responsibility and his power to ensure that his world would be safe from leeches like this. From dangers that shouldn't belong. From invaders that are only after his and the worlds energies and lands. Intent on taking what never would and should belong to them.

That was his burden as the Admin. One he would carry til his souls last scrap of essence was taken back into the fold of everything that was and is.

The fighting around Dream had long since come to an end, when finally even the last of the slithering red presence was taken into Dreams aching core. Locked behind the barriers that had once kept him safe from harm. Safe from its control.

Leaving behind withering roots and vines. A ginormous egg-like shape turned to cobblestone. No life to be found in the visible red of the world. It all taken or destroyed.

The trembling and convulsing of his physical form lessened, being reduced to small twitches every now and then. His fight also won.

“Dream, you okay?”, came the question from George.

The begoggled man held up a swaying Skeppy, who was reaching for his head in confusion, freed from what had kept him in its claws for so long. Skin once more a crystalline diamond color.

Sapnap stood next to them, standing under the arm of his adopted father, looking at the Admin with tears in his eyes. A relieved and joyful smile on his face. Bads faint glimmering eyelights looking confusedly around in turn.

Dream stood up from his aching knees, still seeing nothing with blazing eyes. Still fighting inside to keep what had choked him and his world once locked up. He wouldn’t be able to keep it forever. His wasn’t a prison meant to last.

“Bruh, you in there? You finished with whatever you did to the omelette?”, came the deep drawl from Techno as he stepped closer to his moveless rival. Wiping off blood on his red gown from a fight won for good, inner voices cheering in victory.

Abruptly, glowing eyes closed when Dream took a deep breath. “Goodbye”, he spoke, power echoing in his words.

Before anyone could say anything else a sudden burst of blue fire erupted around the Admins body. Covering him. Burning him with familiar pain. A dying phoenix in a flame of its own creation. Turning him and what was locked inside him to ash. Cremated within seconds.

_**Dream was burned to a crisp** _

The pile of floating ashes was deaf to the horrified cries suddenly ringing out.

“What?!!”, “DREAM!”

\-----

He came to in the darkness of the void, spectral form washed of all colour. Red alien presence dragged here with him.

The unfeeling of primordial space enveloped him, as his essence sang at all the connections it lit with bounding joy. Back to where it actually mostly belonged. Soothing and strengthening all that he had going on.

It took almost nothing to open his core, letting out the rotting mass he had locked inside. The crimson spilled out in fear and anger, energies lashing and searching. Intent on escaping and taking root once more.

Only to freeze when it noticed where it had been brought. When it felt its essence failing. The red bad bad slowly turning to nothing when in contact with the end and beginning of all, seeing as the alien being was never meant to come here. Was never meant to even grace this place. The void acknowledging that and slowly erasing it. Intent of cleansing itself of the invader.

It not belonging to those chosen few souls bound to the respawn.

Despite that it tried to cling on to Dream. Tried to come back with him. Determined to live and thrive again. Trying to sling dusting vines around and in the Admins core again. Convinced it could survive if it held fast. If it used the Admin as his safety. As its shield.

Dream didn’t agree with that thought, letting his essence hum with power. His spectral form glowing brightly white in reaction. Energy heating up exponentially. Burning all that tried to burrow and hide inside him. Cleansing himself easily here in the void where his connection to everything was at its strongest. Where he was at his strongest.

The centre of his world originally belonging here.

“Burn into nothing, parasite”, he spoke into the darkness as with a despairingly loud mental screech the last traces of the crimson were withered away. Abruptly turning high pitched pleads into silencing stillness. An insurmountable burden suddenly being lifted from Dreams mind. Blanketing wrong presence vanishing forever.

The way it should have always been. No Egg anywhere to be found. No crimson to be seen.

The alien being gone for good.

A deep sigh left the Admin. Exhaustion in every part of his being. He was tired. Oh so tired.

But it had worked.

Fooling the Egg into entering him, freeing his friends to protect him while he worked and killed himself, to give the alien being its one and only final death. His crazy plan had worked. It was almost ridiculous.

A small smile quirked on his spectral lips. Which reminded him.

With a small chirp of happiness did Dreams form collapse into that of a small smiley blob. Glowing white, round head and a big smile. Maybe as tall as a hand, condensed energy swirling around. The original form of his essence being so much easier to hold in the primordial darkness of the void.

He still felt tired.

The feeling brought him to his next point. With a small churr of sadness did he split off a central part of himself. A painful and still familiar hollowness came over him, as he absolved himself of what he had just regained. Took out the piece to go back to being an incomplete puzzle.

Spectral strings connecting him to the sphere that housed almost all of his power, blessed with a mind and body of its own. Humming with magic and memories. The small part intent to protect what was still left. Intent to guard the last of the three dimensions.

Supposed to go far away from him again. The white floating globe stayed before him.

_Just go XD. Later it will be even harder._

Dream could physically feel the denial of his counterpart. His small blob form tilted his head.

_She’s waiting for you._

The glowing sphere stayed in its place. Stubbornness and regret humming along glowing lines.

 _You did all you could._ Dream reassured his mirror. He was certain it was true, memories having been brought over when completed. Gaining all the information when they had been reunited.

Still no movement. A quiet desperation floating around.

Dream thought for a moment. With a blink of his round black eyes, he figured out what his counterpart wanted. He promised the same thing once again in a soft and understanding tone. The same thing he had sworn, when he had separated them for the first time.

_One day we will reunite. I will make sure of it. But it will be on our own terms not those of a hungry parasite._

As those words reached the little godling, the heavy feeling lessened. He finally began to move. The promise of one day being one again taken from his originator's lips. Slowly he flew away, only to pick up speed the further he came. Soon disappearing into the darkness with incredible velocity.

Leaving Dream finally alone.

The Admin gave one final sigh, seemingly too big for his small form, before he let go of what kept him in the void.

It was time to respawn.

\-----

He came to in a by now familiar bed.

The first thing he noticed when getting up was how feverish he was. The second was the damn trickle of blood from his nose. Why did it always have to be nosebleeds?! With the back of his trembling hand did he wipe it away.

The aching emptiness of his pit of magic explained why he was also experiencing quite the headache, his heartbeat pounding loudly between his ears. With the splitting off of XD and all the stunts he had pulled before, his meager reserves of personal magic were practically non-existent.

Bringing the expected symptoms. He hated it.

His skin itched and felt sweaty. His core hurt and still felt like it had been defiled. Like a muddy hand had fondled it without his consent, dirtying it with its grasp. Leaving behind prickling trails of ickiness.

Dream wondered how long it would take for him to feel like himself again.

He sat up slowly, a loose strand of hair falling into his eye. The nosebleed following the new gravitational pull. He wiped it again, lifting his hand after further.  
Dream removed the strand with shaking fingers, only to notice new crimson marks on his forearms. Winding along his skin like the tattoo of vines. Scars. Burnscars in a root-like pattern.

Leftovers from the canon death. There to stay forever. Decorating his body for all to see.

It seemed the Egg had still managed to leave some permanent marks.

He sighed heavily in discomfort.

The sudden shove of something feathery and excited into his chest made him fall back down onto his sheets. Trills and whistles full of worry and happiness sounded from the bird that was nuzzling into his chest like its life depended on it.

“Hi Beans”, Dream greeted with a scratchy voice.

A squawk right in his face was his answer. The bird clambering over his fallen form to his head, rubbing his sunken cheeks with lifted green head feathers, a loud croon vibrating against the skin. The blond stroked his little friends back in return, a small smile playing on his lips. Appreciating the comfort the gesture brought.

It disappeared as soon as he realized what he had to do now.

Everyone knew he was alive. Everyone knew he could do impossible things. Everyone knew what kind of powers he held now. Everyone knew what kind of a danger he really posed to them.

Not knowing that he would never use his powers against them directly. Not knowing that he not only held back out of the kindness of his heart but also to follow an old unbroken promise.

That was a problem.

He wasn’t safe anymore.

With a grumble of pain Dream got up, standing on shaky feet. Aching and feverish body struggling to gather all that he needed from his chests. Filling his empty inventory with stuff he had collected over the past… two and a half weeks?

He didn’t know anymore.

Time had been a blur while he was getting beaten the shit out off and taken along for a non-consensual ride in someone else’s brain.

He ignored the exasperated and angry squawks of Beans. Trilling back a short note saying he wasn’t going back to bed.

The parrot immediately began tugging at his long loose hair, trying to convince him by pulling with fluttering wings at his dirty blond strands. Trying to convince him to go back to bed.

Dream went on anyways.

Crawling out of his base and taking a swaying step back into fresh air, the view from up the mountain greeting him. Sun shining high from the sky, warm rays hitting his already sweaty and flushed skin. The plains biome far down, circled by the countless trees of the forests, moving slightly in the rhythm of the wind.

Beans was flying over his head in circles, squawking loudly in complaint. Diving down to sometimes tug at his mantle or hair again with angry black eyes. Not doing anything drastic since it didn’t want to hurt Dream.

The blond ignored the effort. With a mind fuzzy with a fever and headache did he try to think of what to do next.

How he would flee from his temporary base.

He would have to Nether travel, otherwise Runner would be left behind. That was something he certainly didn’t want. He liked his little lava walker friend. He would just have to be careful with Beans. Very careful. The Nether dangerous for the bird.

Dream had enough loose obsidian to build another portal when he was far enough to make another safe base. Or maybe he would just keep on moving, to make sure no one could track him down with the compass. Living his life as a nomad, constantly on the run.

That sounded very much like the option he would actually have to take.

The blond knew he was too weak to take anyone on in a fight right now, as evidenced in the blurriness of his vision, the trembling of his limbs and the gentle swaying of his world. Or maybe that was him?

Whatever.

Dream took a deep breath, intent on finally taking his first step for his future life on the run, when he stilled. Beans noticed the move immediately, landing close-by on a stone and tilting its head in question.

The Admin looked right next to the cyan parrot. Staring intently.

Beans gave off a confused whistle.

Dream tasted the energy of the Nether.

Without a sound an obsidian portal appeared where the Admin was looking, making Beans screech out in sudden fright, fluttering away to Dreams left shoulder. Claws digging into his green mantle, the bird's chest going up and down fast.

Through the purple swirling portal two familiar squabbling figures came.

“What the heck was up with that strider? Did you see how it acted? Are you sure we are right here?”, came a literal waterfall of questions from the young man wearing a white bandana. A familiar white smiley mask strapped to his belt.

“I’m certain, these are the coords I noted down when…” The man with the goggles looked up from his communicator, falling silent as he saw the frozen figure of Dream before him. The arsonist followed his gaze.

They all stared for a moment at each other.

Dream let out a hushed: “Sapnap? George?”

Both members of the Dream Team looked to the trembling figure of the blond for a moment longer, before abruptly jumping into action. Sprinting up to their missing friend and throwing arms around him. Hugging him tightly.

Dream flinched heavily, before staying still as warm tingles went through him at the contact. These were good touches. Wonderful touches. Nice touches after all the bad ones he had had before.

He lifted his arms hesitantly and blearily, not entirely certain if this was real or just a fever dream brought on by his magic exhaustion. The smell of his two best friends as well as the warmth they brought convincing him that the first was true. He hugged back, squeezing them as tightly as he could.

A shuddering sigh escaped Dream, so much relief and fear and pain and hope contained in that one loud release of air. In that one long drawn exhale. An unnoticed tension snapping and releasing, making him go slightly limp in his friends holds.

“We’re here you idiot”, Sapnap mumbled into the crook of his neck.

It took a while.

It took till after the hug had finished. Until after both of his friends had noticed the state he was in, taking his arms and pulling him back into his base. Until after they had both bullied him into his bed, an enthusiastic parrot helping their efforts.

They had placed another bed right next to his own, so that they could all lay down in them together. Keeping close contact to the slightly delirious blond. A cyan bird settled down onto the feverish Admins chest with a happy grumble.

It took until Dream was slowly nodding off, embraced by the two people he loved the most, pushed up sleep finally catching up, the constant scratching at his walls gone, for him to finally really truly understand what that sentence meant.

He wasn’t alone anymore.

He had his friends.

He was safe.

He was free.

He was home.

Happiness and contentment flowed through Dreams core as he finally fell asleep. The darkness of an oblivion he had missed for so long awaiting him with open arms. Hypnos claiming his mind finally.

He was at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was it for the big finale of this story arc! Small epilogue still incoming!  
> Quick explanation how Sapnap and George can show up at the end although it takes one and a half days when traveling through the Nether to get to Dream: _void times._ Just goes much slower, so the time it took Dream to finish up in there and respawn, his friends had already been quite close.
> 
> I'll probably make smaller drabbles that are contained in this universe, missing scenes and such. Might even continue, but definitely not at the same pace as before.  
> Furthermore I'll continue to write other bits and pieces outside of this series, and since my headcanons are pretty universal for me you might find a few familiar themes in them. So maybe checking in once in a while wouldn't be bad ;)
> 
> Anyway, I hoped you all really enjoyed this series until now, it was as much of an experience to write as it was probably to read. I had lots of fun and you all were great with your comments and support. Thanks a lot for making my first real writing attempts such a joy. You are all great!
> 
> Well, now it's time for my usual spiel. Tell me your thought, feelings and ideas down below in the comment. I really enjoy reading and answering. Also, if you don't wanna write through the comment section you can find me on Twitter under @whitebeakedcrow or on Tumblr under @whitebeakedraven. I'm pretty quiet there, but I'll always write back if written to. I enjoy having a nice chat!  
> Constructive criticism is also welcome.
> 
> Now guys, until the next time, hope you all have a great day/night!  
> Stay safe!


End file.
